By Subhash K. Jha. Maharashtra, India, 08:30 AM IST

They have been good friends for more than three decades and have now teamed up to make films - cinema that both believe in. Anupam Kher and Satish Kaushik, buddies since their days in Delhi, are happy with their first joint venture, a young love story titled 'Tere Sang'.

'Anupam and I have launched our film production Karol Bagh Film and amp; Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, named after my birth place in Delhi. That's where Anupam has spent many afternoons with my family and me gorging on 'aloo parathas'. We know each other for quite some time,' Satish told IANS. They have teamed up with another pal Manoj Mittal, from Delhi, for 'Tere Sang'.

Earlier, Sanjay Gupta and Ekta Kapoor had come together and co-produced successful crime thriller 'Shootout at Lokhandwala'.

'When I did a film in London called 'Brick Lane' (based on Monica Ali's Booker- winning novel) I learnt about cost-effectiveness. I've applied the same ground rules for shooting 'Tere Sang'.

'Anupam and I want to make the films we believe in. Today, in the film industry, a lot of legitimate finances are coming in. Today, a filmmaker has to be a businessman to survive,' he said.

Adds Anupam: 'Satish had earlier joined hands with Anil Kapoor to produce 'Badhai Ho Badhai'. One learns from one's mistakes. I had earlier produced two films Rituparno Ghosh's 'Bariwali' and Jahnu Barua's 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara'. They suffered because of my lack of marketing knowledge.'

'We want to target films at the youth. I know Satish for 32 years. We've never had any problems with each other. As for Satish's rapport with the Kapoors (Anil and Boney), I'm sure he's eternally indebted to them, just as I'll always remain indebted to Mahesh Bhatt.'

The merger is bound to take its toll on Satish's relationship with Boney and Anil for whom he directed a wide spectrum of films from the fiasco 'Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja' to 'Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai'.

'There're bound to be repercussions,' Anupam reacted tersely. 'But you can't make omelettes without breaking eggs. Satish and I have known each other long enough to know what kind of films we want to make.

'I like what Satish has done in 'Tere Sang'. We're soon producing a children's film. A director has already submitted the script. And I myself plan to direct a film next year.

'We aren't in a hurry to become tycoons as producers. Though we do want to get there eventually,' said Anupam.

By Subhash K. Jha (Staff Writer, © IANS)