Actress Renuka Shahane who almost took a sabbatical post her marriage to actor, Ashutosh Rana is now coming back to Bollywood. Not as an actress but as a director.

She will be directing in her debut directorial venture, one time arch television rival, Pallavi Joshi. The women oriented subject is titled, Rita.

Renuka Shahane and Pallavi Joshi were called Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit of small screen, as directors would always envisage the script based on these two women.

Now after so many years when Renuka is all set try her hands at directing, the first choice she made for the lead role and the protagonist Rita was of Pallavi Joshi.

What's most interesting Renuka apart from directing she will also be acting in the film with Pallavi.

Says Renuka, "it's my first directorial film so I obviously wanted every thing to be perfect. When I was thinking of the star cast, the first name came to my mind for the lead role was Pallavi Joshi.

Not because she is best my friend but she is a brilliant actor. It's a dream that I have been nurturing for a long time to share screen space with her."

Produced by Pooja Shetty's company Walkwater Media, the film is based on a critically acclaimed novel by Shanta Ghokale by the same name.