Katrina Scores Over Sonam - An article

Nobody messes around with the industry's reigning Diva ' the competition better run for cover. For Katrina Kaif, the going has never been so good.

After delivering four back-to-back hits last year, she's been flooded with the best of offers and the most prestigious endorsements. Things are only going to get better from here and most of the filmmakers realize this too. No wonder they all want her for their projects ' only Kat is being mighty selective now. But there's no denying that when Katrina casts her eye on a film, nothing can really come in her way. Not even Sonam Kapoor.

For the last couple of months, everyone's been talking about who would bag the lead heroine's part in the much-discussed Farah Khan's 'Tees Maar Khan' opposite Akshay Kumar. The film is one of the biggest ventures of the year and considering it is Farah's next after her super-successful 'Om Shanti Om', the expectations are sky-high. No wonder then that most heroines in the top league were vying for a spot in the movie.

According to insiders, Anil Kapoor was very keen that Sonam be a part of the project. Despite the positioning she's carved for herself, in box-office terms, Sonam hasn't yet been a part of any hit film. She's doing 'Aisha' opposite Abhay Deol and 'I Hate Love Stories' with Imran Khan but the one thing she lacks is a prime project with a major superstar. Like a close source says, "Anil wanted Sonam to do a full-on commercial film with someone he trusts. He has known Farah for many years now and 'Tees Maar Khan' seemed like the perfect vehicle. He even expressed his desire to Farah and talks were on for a while between them."

Meanwhile, Katrina had also shown interest in the same film and considering that she and Akshay have made a super-hit jodi at the ticket counters so far, Farah seemed to be in a quandary. "On one hand, Sonam brought a certain amount of freshness to the film while on the other Katrina made the scale of the film bigger."

According to trade sources, the scales tipped in favour of Katrina after the movie was in the process of being acquired by Shree Ashtavinayak Films (a fact that's been withheld till now). Since the budget of the film is on the higher side, Katrina made the project far more viable with her ability to pull in the crowds on her own merit. "Sonam hasn't yet proved herself with the masses. With the kind of price Akshay and Farah were expecting for the film (since they're jointly producing it), it made more sense to have someone as bankable as Katrina in it. That's why Sonam lost out on it."

The decision was hard but somehow Farah handled it in her own way, without ruffling any feathers. "Anil also understood the situation and didn't make a scene," says our source. "But he also knows that he won't get a film like this again. His long list of conditions and demands scares producers away from Sonam. If she's in the industry, she should be making her own choices." So Katrina finally scored over Sonam ' which isn't surprising at all because she's in a different league altogether. Now we're just waiting for the official announcement. Wonder why that's taking time'

*Courtesy: Stardust