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Rekha, Priyanka in Lajmi's next?
Kalpana Lajmi has approached them for a film on devdasis.
It could be the most seductive casting coup of the century. Rekha and Priyanka Chopra together in Kalpana Lajmi's next film - the Umrao Jaan of the 1970s and the Umrao Jaan who almost was (remember filmmaker JP Dutta almost signed Priyanka for the role of the neo-Umrao?)
"I have approached Rekha and Priyanka for a film based on the life of devdasis (temple dancers and prostitutes). In principle both have said yes. I am extremely hopeful that this would be my next project after Chingaari, which is complete," Kalpana said.
Kalpana, who has directed Sushmita Sen to a stunning makeover milestone in Chingaari, has her fingers crossed.
"Making a film is still not an easy job for women in this country, especially for someone like me who prefers women-oriented subjects. The male stars shy away from me as though I had the plague. And everyone knows female stars, no matter how huge, do not sell films. Only Hema Malini did that," laughs Kalpana.
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Kaplana Lajmi has approached Rekha and Priyanka Chopra for her next film on the life of devdasis. |
"Unfortunately women-oriented films have lost their clout. A stray
Chandni Bar
does well. But my own films,
Daman
with Raveena Tandon and
Darmiyaan
with Kiron Kher, didn't get an audience. I am hoping
Chingaari
will spark off a new phase in my career, and Sushmita's," says the filmmaker who has made award-winning commercially successful films with Shabana Azmi (
Ek Pal
) and Dimple Kapadia (
Rudaali
).
Kalpana bemoans what she calls the monopoly of a few powerful production houses over the stars.
"The problem isn't restricted to female filmmakers but also to smaller filmmakers. Unfortunately, I fall in both categories of underprivileged filmmakers. I have no access to the really big stars. The big guns want to work with only Yash Chopra, Karan Johar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and a few others. The others have to make do with the crumbs. This isn't the best way to function in a country where hero-worship is an art form."
But Kalpana is hopeful.
"If my film on devdasis with Rekha and Priyanka and my proposed political drama Singhasan with Aishwarya Rai work out, I can see doors opening for all the female filmmakers."
