by Subhash K Jha

It looks like cinema-verite has hit Bollywood in a big time. Music composer Aadesh Shrivastava has taken off from his busy schedules to make Sanaa, a hard-hitting 12-minute film on child prostitution featuring the Black baby Ayesha Kapoor.

Now debutant director Ananth Kamath who was Subhash Ghai's chief assistant director has embarked on an independent venture. Entitled Trisha it's a dark and authentic drama on the nefarious child-selling racket.

The film, to start shooting this week, on 9 October, features Divya Dutta and Yashpal Sharma in the lead.

Says Divya, "It's good to be associated with something as well-meaning as Trisha. I earlier did Gudiya a film about the real-life army wife whose husband returned after she was re-married. But side by side I've an out-and-out fantasy like Shyam Benegal's Chamki . I'm sure I'll have loads of fun shooting this film with Urmila."

Divya is also part of J.P.Dutta's Umrao Jaan. "I haven't even asked JP Saab about my role. I wouldn't dare. It's enough for me that I'm part of the project."

One film that Divya had to give the miss was the much talked-about international project Karma Confession & Holy. Divya was supposed to play a traditional Indian housewife settled in the US. "The role has now gone to Suchitra Krishnamurthy. But that's okay. The dates they wanted were clashing with my commitments at home. I'd rather focus on growing as an actress than look at the international market."