YRF on the lookout for promising talent

Yash Raj Films (YRF) has decided to release a film every two years that will launch at least two newcomers in lead roles. The ‘couple’ will be chosen after auditions and will be promised a worldwide mainstream debut under the Y Films banner that primarily targets the youth.

Yash Raj Films (YRF) has decided to release a film every two years that will launch at least two newcomers in lead roles. The ‘couple’ will be chosen after auditions and will be promised a worldwide mainstream debut under the Y Films banner that primarily targets the youth.

The aim is to give promising talent a break. Back in 1978, the studio’s founder and producer-director Yash Chopra launched Poonam Dhillon with the chartbusting Gaapoochi gaapoochi gum gum… opposite Sachin Pilgaonkar in Trishul, followed by the title role in Noorie in the same year.

Singer Mahender Kapoor’s son Rohan (Faasle, 1985), Sonam (Vijay, 1988), Kim Sharma, Shamita Shetty and Preeti Jhangiani (Mohabbatein, 2000), Tulip Joshi (Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, 2002), Anushka Sharma (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, 2008), Meiyang Chang (Badmaash Company, 2009), Ranveer Singh (Band Baaja Baraat, 2010) and Pareeniti Chopra (Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, 2011) are some of the other talents who owe their careers to the banner. In between, a number of actors came together to form a women’s hockey team under Shah Rukh Khan in Chak De! India (2007).

In fact, on May 11, Boney Kapoor’s son Arjun will flag off his acting career with Habib Faisal’s directorial debut, Ishaqzaade, opposite Priyanka Chopra’s cousin Pareeniti, who was voted the Best Debutant of 2011. Both have a strong buzz riding on them today.

“Our high success rate with debutants has encouraged us to zero in on new faces, hone their acting skills and groom them for the camera through a series of workshops, professional advice from make-up and hair experts, dieticians and trainers, before putting them in front of the camera.

Ace photographers will shoot their portfolio pictures and publicists will design a marketing blitz during their launch. For a budding actor, there can be no better acting school,” says a spokesman from the company, adding that the search is on for the next couple to be unveiled in 2014. Rafiq Ganghjee, VP, marketing and communications, YRF, confirms the news.