by Subhash K Jha

Watch out. The Bongs are coming! Avant-garde Bengali filmmakers seem to be lining up at Bollywood's doorstep with promises of tempting new cinema.

Even as Rituparno Ghosh released his Ajay Devgan-Aishwarya Rai romance Raincoat last year, he quietly finished shooting Antar Mahal which is in Bengali but has Abhishek Bachchan and Soha Ali Khan to give it a Bollywood ambience. It released on 28 October.

Aparna Sen is finally starting her first Hindi film Jewellery Box with Govnda, Konona, Soha and Sharmila Tagore.

But it's Goutam Ghosh who's currently shooting his third Hindi film and will beat Aparna to the theatres.

The much-acclaimed Ghosh made Paar and Patanga in Hindi in the past. Yatra brings together Nana Patekar and Rekha for the first time.

Rekha plays a dancer and the fulcrum of Patekar's extra-marital affair.

Deepti Navval also makes a comeback in the powerful role of Patekar's wife. "I've worked with Nana on a number of occasions including in Boney kapoor's Shakti. He's always a challenging co-star. But Yatra is specially challenging. It's the story of three characters' strange journey.

" I always admired Goutam Ghose's work. And now I've the chance to work with him. We're currently shooting the film at Ramaji Rao studios in Hyderabad. After a long time I'm enthused by a role."

The actress has been keeping a low profile... "But not by choice. I can't accept mother roles until they're something with stature, like what Sharmila Tagore played in Viruddh and Hema Malini in Baghban.

"In fact the women always has a sizeable place in Mr Bachchan's films. I'm looking forward to being offered something with him," says the actress who has done substantial roles in films ranging from Ek Baar Phir to Freaky Chakra.

"No one else could've played the zany woman who has an affair with a young boy in Freaky Chakra," Deepti laughs. "I've a great sense of fun. But I've always been typecast as a serious actress. I don't mind. But Hindi cinema has to take me seriously."

Deepti was recently offered a role by Subhash Ghai. "But it had no substance to it. I had done a miniscule role for Subhash Ghai in Saudagar. My one confrontation scene with Dilip Kumar had been chopped off.

"To his credit Mr Ghai gave me the option of opting entirely out of Saudagar. But I can't get into wispy roles any more. I need to be used properly . That's why I'm so happy about the yatra that I've undertaken with Gautam Ghose."