<p><br />The film about gays and prostitutes was screened in the market section here to a positive response.<br /><br />"Do Paise Ki Dhoop..." is the story of a struggling gay lyricist, an ageing prostitute and her physically challenged 12-year-old son. Enquiries from festival organisers and prospective distributors have begun to trickle in.<br /><br />"It isn't a film simply about gays and prostitutes. It is more essentially about the ebbs and tides of human relationships," Deepti said in an interview.<br /><br />"I haven't made this film only for the festival circuit. I want to reach out to filmgoers across India. The film certainly isn't typical Bollywood fare, but it is completely accessible emotionally," she was quick to add.<br /><br />Deepti took great care to ensure that neither the prostitute nor the gay man would appear stereotypical.<br /><br />"The idea was to present a modern, sensitive and realistic portrait of people struggling to find happiness," she said.<br /><br />Shot in Mumbai's rainy season last year by one of Bollywood's finest cinematographers, Kiran Deohans, "Do Paise Ki Dhoop..." uses the metaphor of the under-construction bridge across the sea from Bandra to convey the state of the relationship among the three main protagonists.<br /><br />"They are trying to connect with each other, but the process is far from completion," the first-time director explained.<br /><br />"Do Paise Ki Dhoop..." has Manisha Koirala, Rajit Kapur and New York-based Sanaj Naval, who is the director's nephew, in principal roles.<br /><br />Deepti was originally working on another film for which Madhuri Dixit was being considered for the female lead. When that project proved to be still-born, she came up with the screenplay of "Do Paise Ki Dhoop...", which, she reveals, was "written in three months".<br /><br />The music of the film has been composed by Sandesh Shandilya while Gulzar has penned the poetic title song.<br /><br />"He was busy with another film when I first approached Gulzar saab. He expressed his inability to come on board," said Naval.<br /><br />But Sandesh Shandilya, a great admirer of the veteran lyricist, was very keen to work with him.<br /><br />"So I went back to Gulzar saab. When I told him what the title of my film would be, he instantly came up with the second line and one thing led to another," she added.<br /><br />So, is Naval planning to bid adieu to her acting career?<br /><br />"No way," she said. "My role in Nandita Das' 'Firaaq' as a woman too impotent to intervene when her community resorts to brutality and violence has struck a chord wherever the film has been screened. I can never turn my back on acting."<br /><br />The actress had carved a niche for herself in parallel cinema with films like "Saath Saath", "Chashme Buddoor", "Katha", "Angoor", "Hip Hip Hurray", "Kamla" and "Mirch Masala".</p>
<p><br />The film about gays and prostitutes was screened in the market section here to a positive response.<br /><br />"Do Paise Ki Dhoop..." is the story of a struggling gay lyricist, an ageing prostitute and her physically challenged 12-year-old son. Enquiries from festival organisers and prospective distributors have begun to trickle in.<br /><br />"It isn't a film simply about gays and prostitutes. It is more essentially about the ebbs and tides of human relationships," Deepti said in an interview.<br /><br />"I haven't made this film only for the festival circuit. I want to reach out to filmgoers across India. The film certainly isn't typical Bollywood fare, but it is completely accessible emotionally," she was quick to add.<br /><br />Deepti took great care to ensure that neither the prostitute nor the gay man would appear stereotypical.<br /><br />"The idea was to present a modern, sensitive and realistic portrait of people struggling to find happiness," she said.<br /><br />Shot in Mumbai's rainy season last year by one of Bollywood's finest cinematographers, Kiran Deohans, "Do Paise Ki Dhoop..." uses the metaphor of the under-construction bridge across the sea from Bandra to convey the state of the relationship among the three main protagonists.<br /><br />"They are trying to connect with each other, but the process is far from completion," the first-time director explained.<br /><br />"Do Paise Ki Dhoop..." has Manisha Koirala, Rajit Kapur and New York-based Sanaj Naval, who is the director's nephew, in principal roles.<br /><br />Deepti was originally working on another film for which Madhuri Dixit was being considered for the female lead. When that project proved to be still-born, she came up with the screenplay of "Do Paise Ki Dhoop...", which, she reveals, was "written in three months".<br /><br />The music of the film has been composed by Sandesh Shandilya while Gulzar has penned the poetic title song.<br /><br />"He was busy with another film when I first approached Gulzar saab. He expressed his inability to come on board," said Naval.<br /><br />But Sandesh Shandilya, a great admirer of the veteran lyricist, was very keen to work with him.<br /><br />"So I went back to Gulzar saab. When I told him what the title of my film would be, he instantly came up with the second line and one thing led to another," she added.<br /><br />So, is Naval planning to bid adieu to her acting career?<br /><br />"No way," she said. "My role in Nandita Das' 'Firaaq' as a woman too impotent to intervene when her community resorts to brutality and violence has struck a chord wherever the film has been screened. I can never turn my back on acting."<br /><br />The actress had carved a niche for herself in parallel cinema with films like "Saath Saath", "Chashme Buddoor", "Katha", "Angoor", "Hip Hip Hurray", "Kamla" and "Mirch Masala".</p>