BHOPAL, 7 March 2003 — The former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin is set to play on a different wicket now. And the shift is toward the celluloid world. He is all set to don the mantle of a producer, both of films and television serials. Apart from these he will be organizing film concerts abroad.
A national newspaper reported that wife Sangeeta Bijlani and brother-in-law Sunil Bijlani are his partners in his endeavors. Azhar reportedly said, “We wanted to do something different. So far, it’s been only cricket, cricket and cricket. We decided to venture into different fields.” The banner for all non-cricket activities for the trio is their event management company, Azhar-Sangeeta Management Services. Films are the first to take shape. “Abhi to sirf scripting chal rahi hai (Now only scripting is being done),” says Azhar. And he intends to produce a couple of films a year. “Though we are still working out the details, we intend to do something on those lines,” he says. Adds Sunil, who looks after the company’s Mumbai operations, “Three scripts are being worked on by Rajeev Menon, Sanjay Chauhan and Shiv Subramaniam.” Shivam Nair, who directed the serials Sea Hawks and Ankahee, is expected to direct the films. And romance doesn’t feature in the picture. So far, the company is concentrating on thrillers with murder mysteries and the supernatural.
