A family of contract killers

Debutant director Vishwas Paandya has chosen a very unusual comedic subject for his first film Baa Baa Black Sheep, which opens next week.

“It’s the story of a contract killer masquerading as a cashewnut seller, played by Anupam Kher, who must now reveal the family business to his son, played by Manish Paul, to carry the bloody legacy forward. The humorous pandemonium that ensues forms the crux of the plot,” says Viswas whose father Jayendra Pandya was a well-known producer in the 1970s and associated with renowned filmmakers like Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

 “The world I’ve created in Baa Baa Black Sheep is far removed from the cinema my father was associated with. I grew up on everything from David Dhawan to Guy Ritchie,” confesses Vishwas. “The world has moved on tremendously in the current millennium. Today’s moviegoers look for stress busters in their cinematic experience. That’s what we’ve tried to provide in our film. If nothing else, audiences should leave with a smile.”

Vishwas’ film is pitted against a big Yash Raj film Hichki on March 23 at the box office. The big production house is known to negotiate optimum theatres for their releases.

But Vishwas isn’t perturbed. “We are a small film. And we’re aiming at a small release. We don’t aspire to be a blockbuster. We only want to entertain.”

The filmmaker is very pleased with his cast especially Anupam Kher. “He is like a father figure for me. I have known him for several years. I was, in fact, the executive producer on Anupam sir’s Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. Now, I got the chance to direct him. Another actor I am proud to have directed in my debut film is Annu Kapoor. Everyone including Manish Paul and Manjari Phadnis have been wonderful to work with — I couldn’t have hoped for a better start to my career as a director.”