Vinay Shukla
The name doesn't quite ring a bell, does it?
For the uninitiated, Vinay Shukla is a veteran writer, who began his career way back in 1974 (with Parinay). Many years in obscurity followed before Boney Kapoor's Hum Paanch (1980) and Raj Sippy's Boxer (1984) offered some succour.
What followed was a 15-year career as a writer where he served up some palatable stuff like Aitbaar (1985), Mujrim (1989) and Virasat (1997). Others like Thanedaar (1990), Kurbaan (1991) and Ram Jaane (1995), however, were not so digestible.
In 1999, he wielded the directorial baton with panache in the form of Godmother, where Shabana Azmi played the title role. This unconventional debut was backed by a taut script and plausible screenplay. The film earned Azmi her fifth National Award for Best Actress.
Three years later, in 2002, Shukla decided to go mainstream with the Boney Kapoor-produced Koi Mere Dil Se Poochche. The film was supposed to be Esha Deol's debut effort, instead the half-baked rehash of Sleeping With The Enemy turned out to be Shukla's last effort.
In the picture: Aftab Shivdasani and Esha Deol in Koi Mere Dil Se Poochche.
Advertisement
