Bengali girl Mishti is Subhash Ghai's Kaanchi

Bengali girl Mishti is Subhash Ghai's Kaanchi

By Bollywood Hungama News Network, Jan 24, 2013 - 11:20 IST

As he turns a year older today, Bollywood's showman, Subhash Ghai will be ending his four year hiatus with the announcement of his next venture Kaanchi. Earlier we had reported that Ghai had signed on Kartik Tiwari to play the lead role in the film, though at that time the female lead was still a bit sketchy. However, now we hear that Ghai's big announcement will be the leading lady of the film Mishti.

Apparently, the Kolkata based 21 year old girl Mishti, was roped in post auditioning more than 240 girls for the role. Initially recommended by one of Ghai's assistants, the showman decided to call her to Mumbai post viewing her photographs. Once here, she was made to go through various screen tests for six days, which on completion Ghai says that she emerged to be an actress of Kajol's caliber.

The film which will is scheduled to go on floors on Feb 18, will be made on a budget of approximately Rs. 35 crores. Kaanchi is set to tunes by Ismail Darbar and Salim-Sulaiman and tells the story of an innocent girl from Uttarakhand whose father, an ex-army man, gets shot. The event turns her life upside down, and after a certain point she refuses to be the victim and stands up to fight her way out and emerges a winner.

Commenting on the auditions and Mishti's selection Ghai says, "It is really a tough job to write a good script which, promises to be a blockbuster, as well as a great story with great characters, particularly the protagonist and the tougher job is when you decide to pick up a newcomer to play the title role instead of an established star. It was my very intense struggle to find a Kaanchi, I went on auditioning the most beautiful girls and the talented ones; around 350 girls were auditioned to get the right Kaanchi, the way I had imagined in my script. I found so many beautiful girls with talent but could not find my Kaanchi in them till I saw a picture of Mishti who is from Kolkata. As I auditioned her, I knew in the very first shot that 'she was the Kaanchi I was looking for'. I was looking more for the right face rather than a beauty. Today I am glad that my hunt is over. What I have to do is now is to just make a beautiful film Kaanchi."

With the release date being lock in for August 15, 2013, Mishti who is currently taking extensive training in acting, speech, dancing and martial arts will be the 11th new face Ghai is launching in his career.

Good things are happening to Kartik Tiwari – his second feature film Akaash Vani is coming out on Friday and Subhash Ghai has finalised him as the male lead of his new film "Kaanchi", in which a Bengali girl will play the title role.

The girl is from Ghai's acting school Whistling Woods.

Ghai, who turns 68 Thursday, said: "After nine months of hunt I have finalised the hero and the heroine of my film Kaanchi. The hero is Kartik Tiwari and a new girl from West Bengal, who is under training at Whistling Woods and Mukta Arts, plays the heroine. Rishi Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty play stellar roles in the film."

Ghai is also excited about the music of Kaanchi.

"I have recorded three songs (composed) by Ismail Darbar and penned by Irshad Kamil. I am too excited about going on the sets in February. It is such a fabulous script with brilliant characters and great music," said the filmmaker.

Kaanchi will release during the same week when Ghai's Karma was released in 1986.

" Kaanchi will release on August 15, 2013. Just wait and watch Kaanchi."

While details of the film's plot are elusive, one learns that "Kaanchi" is akin to Raj Kapoor's "Ram Teri Ganga Maili". It's an epic journey of a simple innocent girl into a world of corruption and heartbreak.

Kartik Tiwari sounded understandably excited by the big break.

"Every newcomer dreams of working with Mr. Subhash Ghai. I am two films old. My second film 'Akaash Vani' will release in two days. I am excited. And now to be a part of a film directed by Subhashji just makes the picture complete," said Kartik, who debuted with 2011 movie Pyaar Ka Punchnama

It took the 24-year-old nearly two years to find his bearings in Bollywood.

"To be honest, there was no long line of producers at my door even after the good response to 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama'," said the youngster and gives credit to his director Luv Ranjan for not letting him sign "wrong films".

"I could have easily done that since I'm not from the film industry and have no idea of the right and wrong moves. Because I held back, I am today doing a Subhash Ghai film. I can't wait to start 'Kanchi'," says the newbie who admits he's single in spite of a huge fan-following among girls.

"I had a girlfriend. She left me when I became an actor. She couldn't bear to see me romance another girl on screen. Hopefully, after the release of 'Akaash Vani', I'll find a girl to romance for real."