Director Hansal Mehta's venture Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar was released last year. Starring Manoj Bajpai and Tabu, the film had raised great expectations prior to its release. But after the inevitable happened, the decent reviews as well as the venture's intrinsic distinctness weren't enough to tempt the average viewer into gravitating towards the cinema halls. Mehta is ready with his next film Chhal which stars Kay Kay (known to the average television viewer as the actor in Zee TV"s serial Pradhan Mantri). Mehta talks about his forthcoming venture, and also the lessons that he has learnt from his previous experience.

How much work for Chhal is through?
The film is complete. My post production and other related things are almost through as well. It is being readied for a November release. Right now, various things are being worked out, such as the promotional and marketing strategy for the film.

How would you summarise the film?
It is basically a thriller. The good thing about the film is that it is entertaining. It is a very different kind of cop-robber film, and does not fall into the mould of any thing one has seen before. It is very stylish and slick, and the story is new. It is extremely fast-paced, and the length is slightly more than two hours. It will keep the audience engrossed.

Kay Kay is a fine actor. How was your experience with him?
Ever since I saw Kay Kay in plays about six years ago, I have been following him. I have always found the makings of a major star in him. Kay Kay has releases such as Chhal and Anurag Kashyap's Paanch, and the country should be ready for the arrival of another star. He is not only one of the best actors we have today, but is also very dedicated. That has made working with him an absolutely wonderful experience.

How does he compare to Manoj Bajpai?
Comparisons are very odious. Both are immensely gifted, and they fall in the same niche. The thing is that they have to think while choosing their films and roles. But it is really good to have actors like them.

Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar was a fine film but it did not do well. What are the lessons that you have learnt from that experience?
One very important thing is today's times is marketing. If you are making a film for a niche audience, there should be clarity in the promotional strategy. For that, one needs to have a clear understanding of the masses one is making a film for.

Thrillers do not have good music in general. Keeping that in mind, how have you worked on that aspect?
The music has been done by Viju Shah. I was really impressed with the music of Gupt. The sound was very interesting, and what you have in Chhal are songs that are both trendy and melodious.

What, according to you, is the USP of the film?
It is an engrossing story, and the USP is the way in which it has been told. The film also has action sequences that have wonderfully done by Shyam Kaushal (who has done the action for Khalid Mohammed's Fiza and Santosh Sivan's Asoka The Great). They remind of John Woo's action sequences when he made films in Hong Kong before moving to Hollywood.

Your concluding thoughts?
It is an edge-of-the-seat thriller, and I have not been preachy. Chhal is a film that leaves you with a lot of hope.