Cine Stars ki Khoj winner to work in Mahesh Bhatt mentored film

Having revolutionized the worlds of singing and dancing with its talent-based reality shows, Zee TV turned its attention to celebrating the acting talent of India’s common man this year as it launched  ‘Cera India’s Best Cine Stars Ki Khoj powered by Glam up’ on  5th July. A hunt for the most versatile, talented cine stars who have it in them to light up the silver screen with their acting prowess and charisma, the show has already entered its most exciting phase. It is going to be a test of grit & determination, spontaneity, talent and showmanship until Cine Stars Ki Khoj announces the 2 winners of its hunt. But it sure looks like the bounty awaiting the contestants at the end of the grind justifies the grueling challenges they are about to face. After all, none other than ace filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is partnering with Zee TV as the creative mentor of the film that will mark the acting debuts of the winners of Cine Stars Ki Khoj. The film will be produced for Zee TV by Dhaval Gada & Guroudev Bhalla.  The film will be based on a story written by Mahesh Bhatt who will be involved with the creative aspects of the film.    

Zee TV Business Head Pradeep Hejmadi said, “We launched Cine Stars Ki Khoj with a promise of giving India its next cine star. Our association with Mahesh Bhatt is in keeping with this core proposition. Having spotted some remarkable new actors and given breaks to some of the finest raw talent in our industry and groomed them into emerging as seasoned actors over the decades, Mr. Bhatt is the most apt filmmaker to give the winners of Cine Stars Ki Khoj their first break. So, it is indeed a privilege to partner with him and have him on board as a creative mentor on the film project that will mark the acting debuts of our winners. The plan is to have our contestants spend time with Mr. Bhatt such that he understands their strengths and challenges, grooms them to emerge as more well-rounded performers and casts them in appropriate roles in their launch film.”      

Mahesh Bhatt said, “Any platform which fulfills  the aspirations of the country’s youth must be supported. I'm glad that Zee TV has been doing a great job of this over the years. I have immense regard for the channel’s ability to identify raw talent through its reality formats. And I would love to partner with Cine Stars Ki Khoj .. I look forward to working with the winners of the show on a film that will be directed by my protégé Guroudev Bhalla and I will be involved in its writing and creative aspects.” 

Guroudev Bhalla said, “There’s a distinct advantage in working with fresh talent … they’re extremely raw, eager to impress, flexible in terms of trying new things and are not typecast with a certain image in the minds of the audience. I look forward to directing the winners of Cine Stars Ki Khoj in their first film – working with fresh talent is a challenge as well as an opportunity. The film will be written by Mahesh Bhatt who I consider my guru.”

Producer Dhaval Gada said, “With Bhatt Saab writing the film’s script, creatively mentoring the project and the immensely talented Guroudev Bhalla directing the film, the winners of Cine Stars Ki Khoj can rest assured that they are in safe hands while making their acting debut. We have full faith in Zee’s knack for spotting and grooming the right talent. So we look forward to a great association!”

Judge Anurag Basu said, “We’ve all grown up watching Bhatt saab’s gems like Arth, Saaraansh, Daddy over the years and have immense regard for his body of work. There is a distinctive intelligence with which he approaches the subjects his films touch upon. There’s depth and layering to his characters and he’s made so many successful films with rank newcomers. So I think it will be a dream come true for our winners to make their acting debut with his guidance.”

Judge Sonali Bendre said, “I’ve had the privilege of working with Bhatt Saab in Zakhm and it goes without saying that he’s one of the most gifted filmmakers of our times. I think it’s a brilliant opportunity for our winners to make their acting debut in a film that has his creative mentoring.”

Akshay Nalawade, one of the contestants of the show said, “I’ve been a big fan of Bhatt Sir’s films and it will be an opportunity of a lifetime to make my debut in a film that he will creatively supervise. There was always a drive within us to walk away as the winners of the show, but now the incentive to work with a maestro like Bhatt only fuels us further.”

Oksana Rasoulva, another contestant hailing all the way from Azerbaijan said, “Being on this show has literally been like living out my big Bollywood dream. It has put me on to so many film personalities one had only watched and worshipped over the years. They’re all so inspiring. . For someone coming from another country altogether, I’d never imagined I’ll have the privilege of interacting with any of them. The whole proposition of making one’s acting debut in a film that will have Mahesh Bhatt as a creative mentor makes winning the competition even more exciting.”

With the guidance of the judges on the show– Anurag Basu, Victor and Sonali Bendre - the contestants will now undergo an experience that will equip them to face the ground realities of Bollywood at the end of the competition. The aspiring actors will step out of their comfort zones, go outdoors, attempt daredevil stunts in action special episodes, perform unscripted, impromptu acts in uncontrolled environments like malls and other public places, enact complicated sequences enhanced by special effects to understand what it means to act in a VFX film, make cameo appearances across Zee TV’s fiction shows and act alongside real television stars, dance up a storm in a dance and choreography specials, enact roles in a thriller telefilm specially producer for the show, put forth acts that require coordination with animals and children, be a part of a musical and be directed by judges Victor and Anurag Basu in a re-creation of the most iconic sequences from their respective films. The show will also move into its wild card episodes in the coming weeks. So, all those who wish to make it to this dream platform can upload their audition videos atwww.zeetv.com/cinestars.