Another Kapoor has taken the plunge. In show business that is, but this time behind the scenes.

Meet Shammi Kapoor and Geeta Balli's son Aditya Raj Kapoor, who is directing his first Hindi movie, Baltidevi Queen Of South Hall A Musical, starring Rakhi Sawant [Images].

The media savvy Kapoor tells Patcy N more about the film and the experience of working with Raj Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor.

What is Baltidevi all about?

Baltidevi is a story of a young girl who is married in India and taken to South Hall, London [Images]. Her marital life has a rough beginning which culminates in a divorce. It is more of a rags to riches story where a woman, who doesn't know English, survives in a foreign country by running a dhaba. She starts the concept of Balti chicken and becomes a super cook. She then starts a franchisee and very soon becomes an icon for South Hall by taking care of migrants, people with marital problems, the brokenhearted and so on.

It's a musical film with rap as dialogue.

Is it similar to the Penelope Cruz [Images] starrer, Woman On The Top?

No. The only similarity is that they both are cooks.

It is a funny name for a title.

I had to do something different so I chose this name. Such a title with Rakhi Sawant in the lead is bound to create a buzz.

Why did you zero in on Rakhi Sawant?

I saw her on Koffee With Karan. I saw the appeal in her eyes. I fell for her the way all of India fell for her. I saw the emotion in her heart, which was begging to come out. I felt my script had similar feelings. So I went to her the next day and begged her to listen to my script.

She read the script and by the fifth page, she had tears in her eyes. She said this was her story and then she hugged me.

As for the male lead, I have a few people in mind.

Since you are Shammi Kapoor's son, why didn't you approach RK banners?

I will, at the right point of time. I have already finished three English movies. There is no qualifying mark that I have to go there.

What are the three English films?

Don't Stop Dreaming released in May in London and America. It is a British comedy. My second film is Sambar Salsa, which stars Rishi Kapoor [Images], and which will be releasing on September 21 in London.

The third film is Shamal, Dubai's first English film, which will release end of this year or early next year. Baltidevi is my fourth film.

When did you think of getting into direction?

I assisted Randhir Kapoor at the age of 16. Then, I was chief assistant to Raj Kapoor. I've worked five years in RK Studios. But I did not get into direction or acting. I was a management man for 25 years. My education was up to Standard 10, but I have worked with the World Bank too.

Then I migrated to Dubai, as I had to set up a project for my client (I set up UAE's first ethnic Hindi channel, Azman 7 to 9).

One day an Arab told me, 'Tumhara CV mein likha hai ki tum Raj Kapoor ka chief assistant tha (In your CV, it is mentioned that you are Raj Kapoor's chief assistant). Why don't you try your hands at direction?' He pushed me into it.

So, basically I was a storywriter. I wrote my story in seven days and then got a producer. I forgot my management phase and attended to my family calling.

The RK Banner is reviving its banner and Ranbir has started acting now. Why didn't you cast Ranbir and Kareena [Images]?

That will have to wait. Let me finish this film first and see what happens. I will go to them. There are so many people in the Indian film Industry and I have got good relations with all of them.

How is the family support?

Complete. Shammi Kapoor will be very pleased to know that this is what I am doing. He keeps saying that you should have done these 25 years ago. But I keep saying that I don't regret my management period because it taught me discipline.

When I did my English movies, my English investors did not look at my film background. I completed the shoot on time and within the budget and did everything systematically. I finished Sambar Salsa in 16 days. Excitement and creativity is good but unbounded creativity never gets over.

Why is your name Aditya Raj Kapoor when your dad is Shammi Kapoor?

When I was in boarding school, they asked me what my full name was. I thought as my grandfather was called Prithvi Raj Kapoor and my dad's real name is Samsher Raj Kapoor, I'd give my name as Aditya Raj Kapoor. It stuck in all my documents. Nobody bothered changing it, so I am Aditya Raj Kapoor.

When will the shooting start?

The muharat will be held at the end of this month. I will start shooting in December. My second schedule will be in March and April. The film will be shot in London except for a few scenes, which will be done in India.

Will the Kapoor khandan be present for the muharat?

Of course. But it is too early to say who will be invited.

You assisted Raj Kapoor for five years. Any memories you would like to share?

There are too many. I worked two and half years with Randhir Kapoor on Dharam Karam. Working with him was like going to school while working with Raj Kapoor was like going to college.

Randhir took care of me like a mother and I was very fortunate to having assisted him. Raj Kapoor took care of me like a strict father. My colleagues were J P Dutta and Kuku Kohli -- we are of the same batch in RK Studios.

With Randhir, there was lot of fun because I did not know what was happening. When lighting was being done on the sets, the assistant had to stand in the place of the hero. They marked a cross and made me stand there on my very first day because I was the latest bakra. Everybody made fun of me. By the time I came with Rajsaab, I knew so many things.

I worked with Rajsaab in Satyam [Get Quote] Shivam Sundaram. I was his right hand man and he trusted me with the details. He would give me quite a few tips.

The late Mangesh Dutta, who was technical genius at Raj Kamal studios, told Rajsaab to let me make a small budget film. But I wanted to do something different. That's when I went into management.

Tell us more about.

He was not strict with others; he was strict with himself. He was fastidious and passionate. As a student, I have inherited his passion and eye for detail. If the shoot was at 5 am, he would be ready before that. He did not resort to any camera tricks. He would patiently wait for the sun to come up. That could be seen in his work.

His camerawork was superb. He was technically very good with the lenses. He was an all rounder and I am very fortunate that I am from that family.

Why didn't Shammi Kapoor think of producing or directing?

My dad was a brilliant dancer. Mohammed Rafi once said that if Shammi Kapoor was born as a leaf, that leaf would fall off dancing.

My dad had a good career and he was happy with acting so he never thought of producing or directing a film. My mother Geeta Balli was a brilliant actress. Everybody has their own area of expertise.

Why didn't you think of acting?

I just got fed up as there were too many people from our family in this business. I was very burnt out. I thought I should do something different. Everybody told me that I should act. I had a lineup of producers waiting for me to sign up like Sunny Deol, Rishi Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt [Images] and Kumar Gaurav. But I said no.

But why did you do make such a decision all of a sudden?

I was 20 when I decided to go into management. I was guided by my guruji not to get into films at that time and to do them later. I am 51 today.

Don't you think it is too late?

No. I feel I am a matured man and can understand adults as well as youthful subjects. Rajsaab made Awaara at 19 and Mahesh Bhatt [Images] is still continuing. That's why it's never too late. I am very youthful at heart.

I am on verge of signing more films -- one is with the producers of Aashiq [Images] Banaya Apne and other, India Rocks with Mimoh Chakraborty (Mithun Chakraborty's son) in the lead. I will soon start producing films too.

What do your children do?

My son is a computer nut. My daughter is working with Times Music. I don't know whether they will come back like me and do films. To be a film man, it comes easy to me but to be a corporate man I have to really work hard. I failed in mathematics in Standard 10, but I do my own balance sheet.