Ready to rock Bollywood! Anurradha Prasad

From news-based programmes like 'Poll Khol' and 'Sansani' to soaps like 'Kumkum' to the Diana Hayden-anchored 'Biography', Anurradha Prasad's production company BAG has an enviable portfolio. This year, Anurradha is going to the next level with a four-pronged foray into films. "With so many years of expertise in the television industry, films were a natural progression. We are producing four films this year, all of them in different languages – Hindi, Punjabi, Bhojpuri and Bengali. Two of them – 'Zindaggi Rocks' and 'Mannat' are ready for release."

While 'Mannat' is a Punjabi film and pairs Kulraj Randhawa with Jimmy Shergill, 'Zindaggi Rocks' is a mainstream Bollywood venture directed by Tanuja Chandra with Sushmita Sen and Shiney Ahuja in the lead.

Anurradha has her reasons for the unusual cast. "I'll be producing films with unusual scripts and our USP is pairing up fresh talent with established names. We have done that even in our TV shows and got good results. The script of 'Zindaggi Rocks' required a strong but silent character opposite Sushmita and Shiney fitted the bill perfectly."

But isn't it a disadvantage for her to be based in Delhi while she's trying to gain a foothold into Bollywood? "Not at all," she says emphatically. "We have a full-fledged film division in Mumbai and though I work out of Delhi, I spend at least 15 days in a month in Mumbai. Moreover, we have several interests besides television and films – we have a media institute and we'll be shortly launching 10 FM stations in India. And I'm concentrating on building them all."

The multi-tasking seems endemic in the family. Her husband, member of Parliament Rajeev Shukla is a journalist, a spokesperson of the Congress Party, a member of the BCCI and arguably the most well-connected man in Delhi's corridors of power. "He's also the director of the company," adds Anurradha with a laugh. "And he's responsible for the strategic decisions and policies." Now that's what you call a power couple.

I wish Anu auntie all the luck & success in her upcoming ventures.. and THANKS for a show like Kumkum! And also hope someday she casts HuJu in a movie! That would be awesommmmmmmme!! 👏👏