Making an acting debut opposite the legendary Gurdas Mann is a dream come true for many. But Punjabi actress Jonita Doda terms her debut opposite Mann in Punjabi film, Chak Jawana (2009), as ‘acting by default’. Perhaps because she was an MBA student in 2008 at the National Institute of Management in Mumbai; and had imagined herself as a corporate woman down the line, instead of dancing around trees!
Jonita’s second Punjabi film, Yaara O Dildaara fizzled at the box office, but that didn’t stop her from turning to film production. Entering the entertainment industry might have happened by fluke, but becoming a co-producer and launching her own film production house, Cinevalley Productions, was Jonita’s own decision.
Jonita plays the female lead in her production house’s maiden upcoming venture, Yamley Jatt Yamley, which also stars Savvy Dadwal, who is the director and co-producer of the film. Says she, “My mother (Jawinder Doda) and brother (Harshdeep Doda) have been running Cinevalley Managements and Cinevalley Entertainment from the past many years. We were keen to launch the production house too.
Initially, I was only playing the lead in Yamley Jatt Yamley; we later turned co-producers by launching Cinevalley Productions. Apart from the financial aspects, we have been looking after the departments of promotions and creative aspect.” So, from promoting the film on social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube, to getting articles about the film published in newspapers, Jonita and her family are trying their best to stay in the public mind.
Sharing information about her role in Yamley Jatt Yamley, Jonita says, “Yamley Jatt Yamley is a rom-com in which my character is called Keerat. A no-nonsense girl, Keerat is daring as well as respectful to elders. There are no singers doubling as actors, and I expect the film to do well. So far, friends from the industry say the film looks like a Bollywood venture. It’s been shot in Goa, while the technical staff is from the Hindi film industry, who have previously worked in films such as Desi Boyz, Thank You and Ra.One. But every film has it’s own destiny, let’s see how it does.”
{{/usCountry}}Sharing information about her role in Yamley Jatt Yamley, Jonita says, “Yamley Jatt Yamley is a rom-com in which my character is called Keerat. A no-nonsense girl, Keerat is daring as well as respectful to elders. There are no singers doubling as actors, and I expect the film to do well. So far, friends from the industry say the film looks like a Bollywood venture. It’s been shot in Goa, while the technical staff is from the Hindi film industry, who have previously worked in films such as Desi Boyz, Thank You and Ra.One. But every film has it’s own destiny, let’s see how it does.”
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, the Punjabi kudi is a household name down south, where she has played roles in films such as Makkal Padai and Adhikaran. “I’m currently shooting for a Malayam film called Zebra Crossing, and will also be seen in a Hindi movie called Saturday Nights,” says she.
Jonita’s production house will churn two Punjabi films and a Hindi film next year.