Comedy contest winners headed for Bollywood

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) A Kolkata-based acting group is all set to make its Bollywood debut after winning the 'Idea Hass Ley India Comedy Gang War', a talent hunt contest.

As a reward for winning the contest on Bindass channel that concluded last month, the four members of the group called 'Kool Kolkatans' won a chance to feature in a comedy film being produced by UTV Motion Pictures.

And they know it's a good platform to enter the film industry.

'Winning this competition has taken us a step ahead in realising our Bollywood dreams. We will have to struggle to carve a niche but less in comparison to other fresh people who come to Mumbai with similar dreams,' 23-year-old Mohammad Abid Shamim, a member of the group, told IANS.

The members of the group became good friends while studying commerce at the Bhawanipur Education Society College in Kolkata. They used to perform together at college fests and auditioned for the show.

Another member, Kapil Madnani, a professional DJ, had a fractured leg when he went for audition with his friends. He said the competition has given them national recognition and he is looking forward to working in the film.

Nitin Bararia and Veenit Kumar Nahata are the other members of the group.

They said the criticism of the judges in the show, comedy caliph Shekhar Suman and actor director Makrand Deshpande, helped groom them as actors.

'Shekhar used to judge us more on vocabulary, pronunciation and diction while Makrand used to emphasise more on our expressions and actions,' said Abid.

On being asked whether their fate would be like other talent hunt winners who are forgotten sooner or later, Madnani said his group would move forward and make its presence felt.

Sailesh Dave, creative head, Bindass, said: 'The movie is expected to launch either by the end of this year or early next year.'

At the time of the contest, professional comedy writer-director Mumukshu Mudgal and established TV anchor Roshan Abbas trained the group.

'The group will also be given proper training on film acting by a professional acting coach prior to the shooting of the film,' said Dave.