by Subhash K Jha

Color Chips the animation and feature-film company which is currently producing Mani Shankar's espionage thriller Mukhbir, has big plans for its leading man Sammir Dattani.

The multi-crore company is all set cast Sammir in a number of Hindi films.

Revealing plans for the actor, the chair-person of Color Chips Sudhir Rambhotla says, "So far we were an animation company .We've started feature-film production in Hindi with Mukhbir and were lucky to get Sammir Dattani for the lead.

We plan to accentuate his presence in our film in all the promotion and hoardings. It doesn't matter if he has done a couple of films in the past. I believe he's true star –material . Mukhbir is his true launch. We see Sammir as our company's star. "

Color Chips plans to sign Sammir Dattani for a series of films. Talks are on with a large number of directors including Madhur Bhandarkar, Ananth Mahadevan, Narren Aditya and Nagesh Kukunoor.

Reveals Sudhish, "Talks with these directors are in various stages . I won't like to reveal more right now. But yes, we do plan to cast Sammir in as many of our projects as possible."

This company-actor arrangement , so peculiar to the old studio-style of filmmaking in Hollywood , is bound to catch on in Bollywood.

Says the Color Chips boss, "One reason why the Indian film industry is so fiscally and creatively challenged is because we rely on a group of established stars for popular cinema in every region. We need to build a new and dependable bank of stars across the country. Sammir Dattani is our first resident actor . In future we intend to locate and nurture more talent like Sammir."

Sammir is delighted by the faith reposed in his abilities by the company. "Mukhbir is like a re-launch for me. I'd be more than happy to let my career grow along with Color Chips especially since they're making films in Hindi. In Mumbai I've to complere Madhur Bhandarkar's Corporate and Nisha Chainani's Maratthon. There're talks on for at least five other projects.

At the point in my career, new projects with Color Chips seem the right step forward , specially since they aren't binding me down with an exclusive contact , like they use to when actors in the past got into arrangements with production companies. This new system of corporotized filmmaking is god-sent for actors like me who have no direct links with Bollywood."

Rituparno Ghosh, no less, has shown a keen interest in working with Sammir. Speaking on his plans for the young actor Ritu says, "Sammir Dattani has great potential. He carries a look of noble vulnerability on his face which I find interesting and unique. I want to cast him in a major role."