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'Tushar has already made an impact'

Rumour mills were abuzz -- Jeetendra's son, Tushar Kapoor's debut film, co-starring Kareena Kapoor, was to be put on hold. Apparently, it was thought that young Tushar would find the going tough, what with all the hype that has been generated by Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan.

Deciding to track the rumour to the ground, we immediately contacted producer Vashu Bhagnani who promptly laughed it off... "Where on earth did you hear such a thing?"

With hits like Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and Biwi No 1 under his belt, Bhagnani is now known as the producer with the Midas touch. His movies create box office magic. And he can boast of the best names in business -- Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Govinda, Karisma and Kareena Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, Kajol, Tabu -- working under his banner.

Having proved his mettle with comedy, this producer has now turned his attention to romance and will introduce two newcomers -- Kirti Reddy and Tushar Kapoor -- in his next two films.

Is it true that your film with Tushar Kapoor has been put on hold?

Not at all. Where did you hear this? It holds no truth at all. Our schedule is to go on as decided.

Can you tell us a little about the movie? What do you think of Tushar as an actor?

It is very early to say anything about the movie. We'll start shooting at the end of June or the beginning of July. As for Tushar, I think he is a wonderful actor. He has an innocent charm about him and I'm sure he'll be a big success. That is precisely the reason why I've signed him.

Will he be able to hold his own in the face of competitors like Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan?

Absolutely. See, Tushar is already generating so much interest even before his shooting has started. Hrithik is already one movie old while Abhishek's movie will release any day now. Tushar has barely entered the industry and he has already started making an impact.

What about your other movie, Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya? Can you tell us something about it?

Well, it's scheduled to release on August 18. Abhishek Bachchan plays the main lead with Kirti Reddy as his love interest. It is a love story directed by first timer, A Muthu. It's got some lovely music by Ismayeel Darbar.

What made you sign Kirti Reddy for this movie?

There was this beautiful Tamil movie called Tholi Prema, which starred Kirti and Chiranjeevi's younger brother, Pawan Kalyan. I saw Kirti and thought that she would do very well in Bollywood if she changed her
get up. That's how I signed her for my film. In fact, the movie with Tushar is a remake of Tholi Prema.

Vashu Bhagnani spoke to Priyanka Bhattacharya