‘Sheesha’ – Not just sex!

By Bollywood Hungama -

January 12, 2005 - 12:00 AM IST

When the makers announced the film, it didn't even create murmur. But its tantalizing promos have done the trick! SHEESHA, produced by Guddu Dhanoa, Sunil Saini and Deepak Sharma and directed by Ashu Y. Trikha [DEEWANAPAN], has generated tremendous heat thanks to the hot scenes [Neha Dhupia, Sonu Sood] depicted in the promos. Resultantly, the producers have clinched the deal of almost all the territories on the strength of the promos, for a fantastic price. But there's more to SHEESHA than those hot scenes, director Ashu Y. Trikha informs me, Sex has just been used as a garnish to attract the viewers' attention. But once you watch the film, you'll realize that there's a gripping story as well. It's an intense film all the way. Shot entirely in Thailand [Bangkok and Pattaya] in a start-to-finish 42-day schedule, Ashu says that it would be unfair to club SHEESHA with a film like JULIE, which also starred Neha in the central role. The theme of JULIE demanded exposure, since it revolved around prostitution. The theme of SHEESHA, on the other hand, is entirely different. The passion is just a part of the story, he states. Ashu denies that the film is a scene-to-scene copy of any film. In fact, I've derived the inspiration from a real-life incident that I was a witness to. Of course, as a storyteller, you've got to make certain cinematic changes, but the essence remains that particular incident, he divulges. How did he think of casting Neha and Sonu Sood for the two principal roles? Neha was signed for SHEESHA after JULIE hit the marquee. The character does require Neha to expose her anatomy. But Neha knows where to draw the line, and so do we. Once that was clarified at the very outset, there were no hiccups while filming those sequences, he says. As for Sonu, Ashu states, He's a fine actor. But, most importantly, I wanted an actor who didn't come with the baggage of an image. It's an important role and I must add, he has more than justified it. SHEESHA hits the screens on January 28.