After all the bad press Sanjay Dutt received for his alleged involvement with model Cleo Issacs (with whom he was seen behaving inappropriately in Malaysia earlier this year), there is news that the actor-producer has had the model dropped from his home production Plan, in which she was meant to make her acting debut. Dutt and Cleo were an item at the IIFA awards in April, publicly canoodling in open spaces, much to the embarrassment of the film’s younger actors Bikram Saluja, Dino Morea, Sanjay Suri and Rohit Roy — all of whom, it is learnt, are now relieved that Ms Issacs is no longer a part of the project.
Making History…Now on Screen
IT all happened so fast, nobody even knows… Amir Raza Hussain, the man behind such mammoth (yet dull) productions as The Legend of Ram and 50 Days of Kargil had been signed up by Cinevista to direct a screen adaptation of his Kargil play. Hussain signed Om Puri, Sanjay Suri, Shadaab Khan and Parveen Dabbas to play pivotal roles in the movie, and set off for an outdoor shoot. But news of his high-handed ways and his insufferable behaviour reached the producers, who promptly landed up at the shooting location to see what all the fuss was about. Nobody, apparently, could prepare them for what they saw. Hussain, easily the most hated person on the set, threw temper tantrums daily, fought regularly with the unit cook, interchanged actors and roles according to his whim and fancy, and even got physical with his cast and crew when he felt things weren’t going according to his wishes. As a result, the producers pulled the plug on Hussain’s ambitious war film, Lakeer, although over Rs 2 crores had already been invested in it.
Thorn in the Flesh
LOOKS like Sanjay Dutt’s lavish production Kaante is jinxed for good. Although the film was completed over a year ago (the filmmakers boast that they wrapped up shooting in some 31 days), there is no sign of its release even now. Release dates have been shifted regularly, and there is some talk now of an October release. Meanwhile, such is the ill-will the makers of this film have generated, that foes in Bollywood have begun circulating SMS messages spilling the beans on the mystery in the film. Everyone knows by now that Lucky Ali plays the undercover cop in this Reservoir Dogs remake. So, the film’s director Sanjay Gupta, in a bid to confuse people, began sending out SMS messages of his own, which insisted that it was Sanjay Dutt who played the undercover cop. What the filmmakers didn’t realise (and how foolish could they be, really?) is that in the ‘Behind The Scenes’ section of the film’s official website, there is a photograph showing Lucky Ali in a cop’s uniform. Now how can they blame their foes when they’ve been so careless themselves?
Monsoon Liaison
EVERYONE in Bollywood is gossiping about Preity Zinta and Monsoon Wedding actor Parveen Dabbas. Apparently the two Bandraites are an item ever since they hit it off while shooting in Canada for the Sunny Deol starrer, The Hero. If the grapevine’s to be believed, then the two actors spent many hours shopping together, and a bond developed eventually. Neither is talking about it now, both choosing to dismiss the information as baseless rumours.
Hello Again, Brother
OUT-OF-WORK actor brothers Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan will team up together once again after twice being directed by their chhota bhai Sohail in Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (hit) and Hello Brother (flop). Now, actor Puneet Issar will direct the two in a film for Cinevista. Don’t be surprised if you learn that Yeh Mohabbat Hai leading lady Akanksha Malhotra is signed as the female lead opposite one of the two actors — she is, after all, the daughter of Cinevista’s Prem Kishen. Sadly, the young lady’s acting career didn’t quite take off after her debut film bombed at the box-office. Even her second film — Rahul Rawail’s Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon opposite John Abraham — is apparently stalled.
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Nagging Doubt
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Should Parveen Babi be taken seriously?
Govind Nihalani: ‘‘No, you can’t take her seriously.’’
Mahesh Bhatt: ‘‘She’s in a very fragile condition and needs to be cushioned and taken care of. I’ve known her for years and, in fact, was with her when she suffered the first stroke of a mental disorder in 1979. All I can say is that she hasn’t recovered from that disorder. She can’t be taken seriously at all.’’
Rati Agnihotri: ‘‘I’ve met her just once, and she was a lovely person. In fact, she was wonderful company. But I’ve been hearing that she’s very unwell now. I think she should just be left alone.’’
Asha Parekh: ‘‘How can she be taken seriously? Clearly she’s suffering from some kind of disorder. It’s very sad.’’
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3 min read 
