Will he be as 'Mashhoor' as Kamaal Amrohi?

Amroha township is thrilled about the late filmmaker's grandson entering Bollywood.

Amroha, a hamlet in Uttar Pradesh, is these days abuzz with discussions about whether Mashhoor Amrohi, grandson of the legendary filmmaker Kamaal Amrohi, will revive the family's banner, Mahal Pictures.  Mashhoor's debut film, 'Hum Laakh Chhupayein Pyaar…Magar' sees him donning the triple mantle of actor, writer and director.  Incidentally, the late Kamaal Amrohi won much acclaim for making the cult films 'Mahal', 'Razia Sultan' and 'Pakeezah' (wife and actor Meena Kumari's epic role) under the banner of Mahal Pictures.

Tajdar Kamaal Amrohi, Mashhoor's father and a Congress party member, says that his party workers and people in his hometown are looking forward to Mashhoor's debut. "People want Mashhoor to uphold the family name. I have already got so many calls from Amroha. The news has reached there and the party workers are excited," says Tajdar, who's chipping in with the lyrics in Mashhoor's project.

A graduate from Mithibhai College and an assistant to David Dhawan and Sohail Khan, Mashhoor knows that he has a name to live up to. "I know I will never be able to match up to the kind of work my grandfather did; neither am I aiming for it. He had his own style, which imposed itself in his films. But I want to stand out with my individuality," he says with confidence.

The Amrohi family, incidentally, also owns the Kamaal Amrohi Studios. With Mashhoor's younger brother Bilal having film aspirations too, the family is also keen to produce more movies. But that, as Mashhoor points out, depends on the fate of his first film. "I aim at making honest and entertaining cinema," he ends.