In a casting coup of sorts, Bollywood producer Sajid Nadiadwala has managed to cast Hollywood heavyweight Sylvester Stallone in a crucial special appearance in his forthcoming production, Kambhakkht Ishq. Stallone plays himself in the Sabir Khan directed action romantic caper that co-stars Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. In the film, Kumar plays a stuntman working in the Los Angeles based Universal Studios. As per the script, he meets Stallone during the shooting of a film and the Hollywood action hero and our desi action star compare notes on action and stunts baazi. “Ours is an action film and it’s based in Hollywood so we needed a huge international star and who better than the emperor of action himself,” says Nadiadwala. Incidentally, Stallone is the first Hollywood star to share screen space in a typical Bollywood film. Apparently it took Stallone a good four months to give his nod to the project. “He was very particular about reading the entire bound script and also wanted a detailed storyboard narration. He had a thousand questions for us and made life more disciplined for us,” adds Nadiadwala.Mounted on a budget of Rs 90 crore, Kambhakkht Ishq gets rolling in June end. The film will be extensively shot in and around the lots of Universal Studios and the Kodak theatre where the Oscars are held every year. Nadiadwala has big plans up his sleeve for Kambhakkht Ishq. Stallone apart, there will be crucial cameos by a few other Hollywood stars in the film. He has appointed Susan Paley Abranson and Justine Hempe, the casting directors of the hit HBO series Enoturage as the casting agents for the Hollywood stars. “There are quite a few big names but until the contracts are signed it won’t be advisable to take names,” says Nadiadwala. For newbie director Khan, it’s a dream come true. “I have been working on the script for a long time now, and it’s an exciting merging of Hollywood and Indian cinema. I have the best producer anyone can ask for. He is making even the impossible possible for me.”
