Kapil Sibal makes debut as lyricist in Bollywood with Zainab

On Saturday evening, the capital was witness to a gatheringof friends, family and fans of the very illustrious and multi-faceted lawyer-politician, when his latest B-town venture, Zainab- A Celebration Of Humanity, was announced with much fanfare in the city in the presence of Jimmy Shergill, Lalit Pandit, and others.  

 

Jay Bhanushali seamlessly conducted the discussion and anchored the event which was hosted for a selective gathering at Imperial Hotel, New Delhi. 

 

The event encompassed an item song showcase and unveiling of the film poster.  

Adding a touch of panache to the occasion were personalities from the culturati and intelligentsia circles who have known Sibal over many years.

In the recent past, the author of two journals of poems, Kapil Sibal has made his debut as a Bollywood lyricist for a film titled 'Bandook' by providing lyrics for the romantic number ‘Tu Bataa De’ and has also collaborated with maestro AR Rahman for his studio album Raunaq with seven singles written by him.

With a power of the pen under his belt, the timeless 66-year-old Kapil Sibal said, “Cinema is the most effective way of creating awareness and spreading the social message. Through this film I’d like to convey the principles of happiness, humanity and harmony. Until and unless we don't change our perception and mentality, no law will be able to bring change in the society. If we want to make our society more compassionate, the psyche of every individual needs to change.”

Resonating Sibal’s worldview, principles and beliefs, bureaucrat turned director and producer Pranav Singh said, “The film is inspired by several real-life incidents of women harassment that took place in Uttar Pradesh between 2011 and now. It's a romantic movie with a political touch. This is such an issue which needs to be discussed in our society. Our nation is under the blanket of violence and senior citizens, women and children are the victims of it. Through 'Zainab' we are bringing to the fore the importance of being civilized and understanding our responsibility towards fostering a sense of brotherhood. ”

Adding on Jimmy Shergill, Sanjay Suri and Ashutosh Rana reaffirmed, “It is a very ambitious project and will be a challenge for all of us, but that's exactly what makes it such a big draw. The topic is very relevant and this film be an eye opener of various sorts.”

Lalit Pandit said, “I will be experimenting with my sound and introducing upcoming talent. The music is meant for easy listening and yes I will be singing too.”

Directed and produced by Pranav Singh, co-produced by Vyas Verma and Vineet Singh, the socio-political romantic drama ‘Zainab’, stars Ashutosh  Rana, Jimmy Shergill, Sanjay Suri, Hiten Tejwani and Suha Guzen  in the lead roles with supporting roles played by Eijaz Khan, Deep Raj Rana, Nishant Malkani. 

 

The plot of the film orbits around a romantic expedition between a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl belonging to different communities set against the backdrop of communal riots and political unrest, seen through the eyes of a girl called Zainab. 

 

Originating in the small town of Matiyana Buzurg, the story is based on true events pertaining to the chaos in Western Uttar Pradesh that began in 2011 and continued till present day. 

 

Politics is used as a medium to interpret their romance leading up to disastrous riots that wrecked the city. 

 

The editing is done by national award winner of I Am Kalam fame, Prashant Naik while the art direction is by Ritesh Jadhav, known for his work in The Life Of Pie and cinematographer is Manoj Pradhan. 

 

The endowed composer Lalit Pandit will be contributing to the musical score in the film while Malvika Bajaj & Sahiba Singh will be the wardrobe consultants on board. 

 

The film is being produced under the 24FPS Pvt. Ltd. banner. It commences its shooting schedule in early June 2015 and is slated for an end-2015 release.