Pre-release jitters hit debutant producer Anish Tejeshwar

Actor Anish Tejeshwar has turned producer with Vaasu Naan Pakka Commercial, directed by Ajithvasan Uggina, and made under the banner Wink Whistle. With the film scheduled for release this week, the nervousness in Anish's voice is palpable. "Now that I am a producer, I have come to realise that the release week is so tense. A producer's job is the most complicated in the industry. I have even been wondering if I should have just worked as an actor," he says, adding, "But I'm looking at this as a learning process."

The commercial venture will release in 150 theatres this Friday. While he admits that the making of the film was smooth, the release time, he says, is hectic. "Now, even 24 hours in a day is really not enough."

But why did Anish turn producer? "To make a good film that is neatly executed. And that is the biggest challenge. When we narrate the story, everything looks good on paper, but pulling it off is a different story," he says.

"This is my first experience. Every second is unimaginably tense. I am juggling roles as an actor and producer. I just hope that the effort will bear fruit this Friday," he adds.

Anish feels that there is a myth that the term 'commercial film' means that it is meant only for the masses. "For me, a commercial film is one that caters to different kinds of audience – film buffs, family or children. To get this right, the film must include love, fight and emotions. Making a one-genre film is easy since it focusses only on one emotion. But making a film with all elements, is the challenge," he says.

The film exceeded the budget, but Anish feels the additional expense was justified. "A song at a foreign location, and an introductory track led to the additional cost. This was purely on demand from the audience. They appreciated it in my previous film, Akira, and kept asking me whether this film has anything special from my end. So, I took the risk."

Dialogues, Anish promises, will be a major highlight of Vaasu Naan Pakka Commercial. "This was the feedback given to me by those who have the watched the trailer. Dialogues have been written just the way we speak in middle class households. So, there will be a people-connect," he says, adding, "In fact, my previous films – Police Quarters and Nam Areal Ondina – are still being talked about, which I'm hoping will be the case with Vaasu Naan Pakka Commercial."

The film, also starring Nishvika Naidu, has music by Ajaneesh B Loknath and cinematography by Dilip Chakravarthy.