Biharis are no less than others in various fields- Tanuja is fresh Talent

PATNA: Bihar has given famous names in the field of culture and art. A Patna lady, Tanuja Shanker Khan, is the next name in the line. Upbeat about her directorial film venture, 'Music Meri Jaan', Tanuja says that being a Bihari was never a stigma for her. Now, giving a chance to talents from small towns of Bihar and other parts of India has become her ambition, about which she is extremely passionate.
"Being a Bihari was never a stigma for me. In fact, I took it as a challenge to prove that Biharis are no less than others in various fields. I decided to speak through my work," exults Tanuja, adding "Talents are scattered across small towns of India, but due to lack of opportunity, they are not able to come up. So my endeavour would be to bring as many of them as possible to the centrestage."
She aims to walk the talk with 'Music Meri Jaan', which is expected to go on floors in June. "I conducted auditions for various characters of the film in many state capitals like Dehradun, Bhopal, Jaipur and Patna. Candidates from various towns of these states had come to their respective state capitals to participate in the audition," said Tanuja, adding, "From Bihar alone, around 650 candidates competed. The lead character of my movie, Ram Prasad, apart from three-four other characters would be from Bihar." she adds.
Talking about the film, Tanuja says, "Through my movie, I shall attempt to show the reality of reality shows. How things are manipulated to achieve the desired results and how artificial emotions of ecstasy and sadness are played to increase the TRPs would be revealed through this flick." She adds, "One of my students participated in a singing reality show. She is a very adept classical singer, but was disqualified in the semi-final round because of all sorts of manoeuvring, which even the judges of the show rued. How badly are such candidates psychologically hit, would be revealed by 'Music Meri Jaan'."
Born and brought up in Patna, Tanuja completed her Master's degree in English literature and diploma in mass communication from Patna Women's College.
After starting her career in teaching with her alma mater, Tanuja shifted to Delhi for greener pastures. She worked with famous production houses for cuisine and lifestyle soaps, apart from documentaries. She switched back to media education and is all geared up now for her directorial debut.