Vinod Tharani plans to sign Jacqueline for directorial debut

Mumbai: Acting guru Vinod Tharani, who has coached the likes of Deepika Padukone and Amy Jackson, wants to cast his student, Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline Fernandez, for his directorial debut.

"I know Jacqueline very well. I know her since the time she came to Bombay. My script has a possibility of such a character. I know about her talent and capabilities and have decided to cast her," he told reporters. "My script will be complete in a week`s time. I have discussed with her earlier and she said she would love to do my film," he added. Elaborating on his script, he said it is a fun family drama. "It is a comedy basically. It`s a feel good film like `Ferrari Ki Sawaari`. It`s about a guy and a girl and five dogs. I can`t reveal any more details about it as of now," said Tharani, who has coached many stars. A graduate in microbiology, he himself trained with eminent theatre personalities like Satya Dev Dubey, Habeeb Tanveer, Bansi Kaul and Alok Chatterjee. He worked with them in Bhopal, Delhi and Mumbai. "I used to take acting workshops when casting directors approached me to train actors. Then directors approached me, then talent management companies approached me....and it goes on. I don`t remember my first student`s name, but first one to become a star was Deepika," he said. "I guide them on how to act, how to present themselves in the industry. They don`t know a lot of thing about the industry, which I do since I have been here for the last 15 years," he said. Sometimes coaching continues during shooting. "Once the cast of a film is decided, I am told about the role and I start training. Sometimes directors want me to be there even during shoots," explained the 35-year-old who runs Midas Touch Acting And Dance Studio (MADS) here. But getting coached by Tharani is not an easy task. Before training an actor, "I interview him. I get to know why they want to enter acting." From their mental strength to common sense, he assesses everything. "If I feel they are dedicated and are loyal to the craft, I take them on. I assess their mental strength also because they have to face rejections in the industry," he said. "There are lots of modelling agencies who introduce me to their models. At the end of the day, all models want to become actors. But there is a common sense which is required for acting and only if they have that, I groom them." "Passion is also very important. I can`t train people just because of their hobbies. You can`t lose interest in the middle," he added. Talking about his training, he said, "I cover all aspects every day and cover all detailing. After my training, you get to know if you are cut out for acting or not." IANS