If you wondered where all the fury and violence in her first two films, Dushman and Sangharsh, came from, then listen to Tanuja Chandra hold forth on the fate of her ready-for-release film called Film Star. An insider’s peek-a-boo at the workings of the film industry, Film Star has been pending with her producer Sahara for months now. Sighs the exasperated director, “I fail to see why they are not releasing the film. There just doesn’t seem any planning or co-ordination. You don’t know whom to approach or how to see your film hit the theatres.”

Hitting theatres is out of the question. Sahara has decided to premiere Film Star on their television channel. “I’ve ceased to fight about it. The producer has the last right. I can only comply with their wishes. But I’m very proud of Film Star.” Tanuja is also very proud of her new English language film, Hope And A Little Sugar, which was shot entirely in the US. She’s also very happy with her American producers. “It’s a relief to work with professionals for a change. Everything from production to marketing to release is being handled with utmost briskness. No hanky-panky, no goof-ups. Their way of functioning is so different from our chalta hai attitude to filmmaking. Out here, you have to fight every step along the way. With Hope And A Little Sugar, I just had to focus on making the film. Everything else was taken care of.”

The film, described by Tanuja as “crossover in every sense”(whatever that means!) subsumes the scenario on the US post-9/11. It features, among others, Anupam Kher and Mahima Choudhary. “The cast was a delight. We could finish the film in record time only because the actors valued time and money.” Now the gritty director whose recent films like Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar and Sur haven’t done well, is all set to direct Sushmita Sen in a hard-hitting drama about the new-age woman.

“I can’t divulge the details. But, yes, it would be a role that would do justice to Sushmita’s presence. I’ve always felt her to be a volcano of talent. Of late, Sushmita has been doing a great deal of very strong roles. I feel she’s at a stage when she can do so much. I’ve got unusual performances out of Kajol in Dushman, Preity Zinta in Sangharsh and Mahima in Film Star. Sushmita and I can really vibe well.” Of late, Sushmita has been working with a string of female directors ? Farah Khan in Main Hoon Na, Kalpana Lajmi in Chingari and now Tanuja Chandra.

Do actresses give their best with female directors? “I don’t know,” shrugs Tanuja. “But I really like what female directors do with actresses, for example, Jennifer Kendal in Aparna Sen’s 36 Chowringhee Lane, Shilpa Shetty in Revathy’s Phir Milenge?. I guess I’ll always look at cinema from a woman’s point of view.”