After playing several big and small but powerful roles in TV serials and movies, actor Harsh Chhaya has tried his luck at direction. His debut directorial venture Khajoor Pe Atke, a black comedy, is a story that revolves around serious situations but takes a comic route. And the ensemble cast comprising Sanah Kapoor, Manoj Pahwa, Vinay Pathak, Alka Amin, and Seema Pahwa doubles the fun. Harsh says, “I had the script ready four years ago, but it didn’t work out then as the actors were busy. So I had to cast new actors. I have worked with Vinay Pathak and Manoj Pahwa before and both of them are fantastic actors.”
Shahid Kapoor’s sister Sanah Kapoor, whose last film was Shandaar, will be seen playing a totally different character this time. Though her first film did not do well at the box office, Sanah says she has moved on with life and is looking forward to her next movie. “You are always upset when your films don’t do well. My work was appreciated last time. And I hope this film does well,” says Sanah.
Harsh, who started his career with famous TV serials like Tara, Swabhimaan and Tehkikat, says, “It’s a comedy around death and deals with regular situations people face. The style note and story is totally different. I have pegged it on Simpsons and my characters are more like caricatures of real life characters.”
About her role, Sanah says, “I play Nayan Tara, who has her own plans about what she wants to do in life. While in Shandaar, I played a very bubbly and family-oriented character, this film is different. We had a great star cast like Manoj Pahwa sir, Seema Pahwa mam, Dolly mam. Every experience is a lesson for me. Working with all these actors was fun as they were so spontaneous and I need to learn from them.”
About working with Sanah, Harsh says, “She has already done a film and comes from a family of great actors. She’s young and ready to learn and experiment. It was pleasure working with her.”
Sanah also enjoyed working with Harsh. She says, “He is an actor first, hence, he understands the problems of an actor. He gave us a lot of space to experiment and allowed us to improvise whenever we gave suggestions.” When quizzed if we will see him in the movie, Harsh says, “You might or might not see me in the film. I haven’t stopped acting completely. I love acting but won’t do it for the sake of it.”
Meanwhile, he is busy working on a Bengali film titled Byomkesh Bakshi these days. “I met a few people through my wife Sunita. I want to make films in Bengali, Marathi and Hindi. I have a few scripts ready. If people appreciate this film, I will go ahead with the rest of the scripts,” says Chhaya, who is also into theatre. Sanah, on the other hand, has not signed any film yet. “I am reading a few scripts. There will be announcements soon,” she says.