Katrina Kaif was really very Upset!

For Siddharth Anand directing his childhood chum Ranbir Kapoor was an inevitability. Not only are their parents close friends Ranbir and Siddharth grew up together. “We had no choice but to be friends,” jokes Anand.

In fact the two had made a pact that they would start their careers together. But then Siddharth got busy with his two back-to-back Saif starrers.

“Ranbir and I are like brothers. I know him from the time he was born.I’m shocked by Ranbir’s expertise in front of the camera. In my film he’ll be completely different from the way he was in Saawariya.

Ranbir is full tayyaar on the sets. Superb energy and a great dancer, ” Anand exulted just before the crew left for a 50-day shoot of his Ranbir starrer Bachna Ae Haseenon all over Europe.

So how does it feel to be making his third romantic comedy? Anand corrects me. “Salaam Namaste was a romantic comedy. But Tara Rum Pum was a family drama. I never executed it as a romantic comedy. …It didn’t do as well.

Probably my concept of poverty, not getting good food, didn’t jell with the audience. That was my interpretation of poverty because I’m a foodie and not getting great food is the biggest deprivation for me. I need good food to keep me happy healthy and fat.

Anyway people have been catching up on it belatedly on the cable and dvd. I was happy the producers didn’t lose money. Bachna Ae Haseenon is again a romantic comedy. It feel it stretches the genre.”

His film releases on 15 August. “I just saw my poster with the date and my hands went cold.”

The director feel there’s an instant connectivity with the audience through the title. “And it’s not just because Rishi Uncle sang the words Bachna ae haseenon. Anyone who’ll see my film will know it’s the most apt title. However Ranbir being in the film the title does acquire an added dimension.”

Interestingly Sid Anand decided to knock off one whole portion of the plot thereby knocking Katrina Kaif out of vision.

“And only because it was getting too long. If we had kept Katrina’s portion Bachna Ae Haseenon would’ve been one of the longest films in the history of Hindi cinema….much much beyond three hours.”

Siddharth admits it wasn’t easy breaking the news to Katrina. “Nobody had the heart to break the news to her. When she heard she was out Katrina was really upset. But what to do?

In fact Katrina’s track was one of our favourites. But she saw our point of view when she saw the film. The only reason we dropped her track was because it hadn’t been shot.

Otherwise she’s the biggest star we’ve in our film. Katrina has had only one flop in her entire career. Dropping her track upset all of us.”

Siddharth feels Yashraj Films is like a second home for him. “I’ve been part of the the banner for ten years. I started by assisting on Mujhse Dosti Karogi.” He now plans to make a film for Sajid Nadiadwala.

Stars, Siddharth admits, bring in the audience. “But I think a film like Taare Zameen Par would’ve worked even without Aamir. We’ve some supremely talented actors like Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay Menon. Hopefully I’ll be working with them soon.”

Provided Ranbir and Saif let him.

Skin show helps others not Mallika!

Bollywood femme fatal Mallika Sherawat may have made her list of aasiques long with a fan following consisting from directors, producers and crazy-going audience, but her banging luck still couldn’t open the door of biggies of Bollywood.

And hyping jealousy enough, the almost unknown face of the recent flop Red Swastick, Sherlyn Chopra, has managed her alley to the Yash Raj films just after a sizzling appearance in the music album Outrageous.

Mallika may have worked with top actors of Bollywood such as Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Rekha, Dharmendra and many like them but working under real big banners has always been dreams of most of the industry people. And Mallika, being a beautiful part of the industry, may not be very different from others.

Well, whatever be the fact or fiction, fans of this bomb-shell have something to cheer for as the actress would soon be seen portraying different characters in her upcoming films.

Mallika is reliving the character of Anarakali in Sanjay Chel’s Maan Gaye Mughle Azam. On the other hand Mallika would be seen opposite Ranveer Shourey in Pritish Nandi’s comic chapter Agli Aur Pagli.

Apart from these the actress is also working in Ravi Walia’s Fauj Mein Mauj and Kamal Hassan’s Southee flick Dashavataram where she is portraying the character of an I A agent.

Only time would tell whether these films would help Mallika in making an impression to help in grabbing big banners or not.

If she succeeds in it, then the next question will arise as whether she will be able to maintain a good rapport with the biggies.

Since, we all are aware the kind of bitter relationship she shares with Mahesh Bhatt who bestowed her with Murder, the biggest hit in Mallika’s career.

I was not flirting with Shahid: Jiah

Jiah Khan has shot for two days for Ken Ghosh. And now she hears from the press that she’s out of the film!

Bollywood plays strange games with those who aren’t familiar with it.

Take Jiah Khan. She made a spectacular debut with an author-backed role in Ram Gopal Varma’s Nishabd.

After that…nothing! Until Aamir Khan green-lighted her for a role in Ghajini.

Then suddenly everything started to fall in place. …Or so it seemed. Until strange stories about Jiah’s conduct have surfaced.

Apparently she was shown the door in Ken Ghosh’s new film with Shahid Kapoor. There was just one small problem.

Jiah wsn’t informed about it.

She appears shocked by tales of her ouster. “I’ve already shot for two days for the untitled film with Shahid. After that there were scheduling issues.

My dates for Ken’s film were clashing with Aamir and Ghajini. I couldn’t possibly let the Aamir project suffer at any cost. It’s my chance to create the impact that I couldn’t, for some weird reasons, create after Nishabd.”

Now Jiah is in fact all set to shoot for Ken’s film. “I’ve already given my dates for Ken’s shooting. No one has so far informed me that I’m not in the film. So it’d be right for me to presume the project remains as it is.”

As for talk of her over-friendly messages to Shahid Jiah protests, “I’ve just sent him a couple of formal messages saying how much I’m looking forward to working with him. Is that wrong?” she asks with touching tenativeness.

She then whispers. “I’m new to all this. I keep to myself and I’ve no idea what people do in this industry. I am here only to work.”

Jiah will have learn the hard way that PR skills are as important as professionalism.

In the meanwhile director Ken Ghosh suddenly surfaced to say Jiah was back in the project. “I wouldn’t like to say much on the matter.I’ll let my producers UTV clear all the misunderstanding.

But Jiah is very much in the project…This isn’t to say that I don’t want to work with Katrina. Of course I do. Look how hot she’s at the boxoffice! We’ll work together some other time. It’s a small industry.”

But how could Katrina be eligible for a role earmarked for Jiah??!!

“Why not?” Ken shoots back. ‘Didn’t Mr Bachchan do Zanjeer in place of Dev Anand? And didn’t Mr Bachchan say yes to Deewaar after Rajesh Khanna opted? These things happen all the time. Like I said it’s a small world.”