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'Bodyguard' no threat to 'Mummy...': Director

Mumbai: Journalist-turned-filmmaker Pammi Somal is not worried about the fact that her directorial debut "Mummy Punjabi-Superman Ki Bhi Maa" will clash with Salman Khan-starrer "Bodyguard" at the box office - both the films are releasing August 31.

"I really wanted it to release with a big film and not along with 10 small films. I told the distributors that I would take the risk. 'Bodyguard' is a big film and I myself like Salman Khan a lot. He is a great crowd puller but this film also has its audience," Somal told.

"Mummy Punjabi" is a satire that talks about lonely parents, while Salman's film is a love story about a bodyguard and his client, played by Kareena Kapoor.

"The idea behind the movie is to love and cherish your parents. The film is a comedy and I have tried to put the message across in a very comical way," said the 50-something, who has worked with almost all big publishing houses as a film writer.

The idea to make "Mummy Punjabi" came to Sonal's mind after she received a letter from her mother while she was abroad.

"Many years ago, while I was abroad, my mom wrote a letter to me from Chandigarh in Punjab. She is used to stay there and described (in the letter) how it has become a lonely city. I belong to Chandigarh and I can feel that when children go away, how lonely their aged parents become staying alone in their huge bungalows," she said.

"Mummy Punjabi" features actor Kirron Kher, Kanwaljit Singh, Jackie Shroff and Divya Dutta, among others.

"Kirron Kher was in my mind for a long time because I was sure that no one would be able to do the role that she has played in the film," said Somal who didn't want to direct but circumstances forced her to wield the megaphone.

"I never thought of becoming a producer-director, rather I always wanted to be a writer. It so happened that the people who were approached to invest in the film, they said if I do the production they are ready to invest. So I became a producer. When I roped in a director, I saw that there is a lot of ego problem as he wanted it to do it in his way, but I didn't want to spoil my script, so I took up direction as well," said Somal.

She has also completed her second movie, which is set to release next month.

"My film 'Na Jaane Kab Se' is releasing in September. I have lots of script ready with me and I would start working on them soon," she said.