"Ajay Bhaiyya is like a very protective loving elder brother" - Amita Pathak 
By Subhash K. Jha, June 20, 2008 - 11:46 IST
Enterprising producer Kumar Mangat's daughter Amita Pathak who makes her debut in Haal-e-Dil on June 20 has a very strange and heartwarming tale to tell about her dad's close friend and business associate.
"I can't remember a time when Ajay Bhaiyya has not been there for me. He's like a very protective loving elder brother. I remember as a child he'd be there for me at functions just like a parent. Once he had fever but he came for a function only because I asked him to. And when I was assisting John Matthew Mathan in Shikhar, Ajay Bhaiyya would be hovering protectively making sure I was never alone, having me driven home properly escorted in the night. He and Kajoldi are parents beyond my own parents."
Such close camaraderie is not just rare in the money-driven film industry it's extinct. "But it's the only kind of existence I've known!" exclaims the 22-year old debutante who trained under Kishore Namit Kapoor, as most debutants from film families do. "And it was just logical that my debut would have Ajay Bhaiyya standing behind it like a pillar of strength. He was there to select my two co-stars."
Kumar Mangat launched an all-India hunt for his daughter's co-stars. "The first one Nakuul Mehta came into the picture long before the second Adhyayan. So, I'm far more comfortable with Nakuul," says Amita. "We've practically grown as actors together."
Before facing the camera she assisted on Shikhar and her father's production Omkara. "And I must admit, some people on the sets of Shikhar were not nice to me. They thought of me as an influential producer's pampered daughter. But I worked hard to prove I was sincere. I still have to do that."
Amita has an interesting story to tell about how she got her debut film. "I remember as child when my father was producing Khilaaf I'd hover around Madhuri Dixit. I idolized her. That's when I decided I'd become an actress when I grew up. But when I announced my decision to my Dad, he was totally opposed to it. I told him, 'Either acting or I'll just do the normal thing, and settle down with the first boy who seems suitable.' Then I was on holiday in Punjab when Dad suddenly called to say he's making a film for me. I didn't know how to react."
About the film Amita says, "It has three protagonists. But it isn't a love triangle. That's the beauty of it. In other details if all love stories are the same it can't be helped. Even in real life Boy has to meet Girl. And more often than not the parents don't approve. That's the way the rules for people in love work."
The expectant debutant is aware she'll be judged harshly because she comes from a film family. "And I don't blame people for being cynical. Just look at the number of talented youngsters who are waiting for a chance. If I've been given an opportunity I better prove myself."
She thinks the advantages of being launched by her family are tremendous. "People know where you come from. They won't offer you strange roles or ask you to do embarrassing things. I know I'm pampered silly within my dad's banner. But sooner or later, I'll be on my own. It's like the child who's taken to the gate of the school. From there she's on her own."
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