Katrina-Neil paired together in YR Film

Katrina-Neil paired together in the Yash Raj film

March 13, 2008 - 15:50 IST

Katrina Kaif may have lost the chance to be one of Ranbir's leading ladies in Yash Raj Films' Bachna Ae Haseenon. But the lady, currently sizzling with Saif Ali Khan in the promos of Race, didn't have to wait long for Yash Raj to make amends. Katrina has now been signed to star opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh in Kabir Khan's untitled film which also stars John Abraham in a pivotal role.

Without giving away much detail about the project Neil says, "Kabir made a very unusual film Kabul Express for Yash Raj earlier. This time, he's going all-out to make a commercial film. I think Katrina and I will make a striking pair." Katrina who's paired with Ranbir Kapoor in Raj Kumar Santoshi's Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani seems to be getting into the let's-get-young mode. All her earlier films are primarily with the 40-plus Salman Khan, Govinda and Akshay Kumar. Now she's finally working with co-stars nearer her own age.

Laughs Neil, "I wouldn't know about that. My bonding so far has been with John. I really get along with him. He's so funny and entertaining. Somehow he reminds me of Dharamji (Dharmendra) with whom I did my first film Johnny Gaddaar. The same towering personality and physique and a heart of gold."

Let's hope the initial camaraderie lasts through the film. Considering what happened to John's dosti with Arshad Warsi during Kabir Khan's Kabul Express, one wonders if the seedha-sadha Neil would be singing the same tune by the time he and John finish shooting together.

Isn't it a disadvantage for Neil to start his career with two arty films like Sriram Raghavan's Johnny Gaddaar and Sudhir Mishra's Tera Kya Hoga Johnny? "I think the two Johnny films are very different in mood. Tera Kya… is funny episodic film where me, Soha Ali Khan, Kay Kay Menon and Karan Nath are four characters who meet this child, played by Sikandar. It's masala of a different kind. It even has an item song by Chitrangada now." Sure, we can see queues clamouring to get in to see Chitrangada wriggle on the dance floor.

"But Freeze is out-and-out commercial, glamorous, glossy and sexy," Neil brightens up. Ando, he isn't called Johnny in Freeze.

OMG, Chitrangada has an item song in Tera Kya Hoga Johnny. That will be interesting to see and it will definitely break all of the typecasting people have done for her. But it is smart to do this move with Sudhir Mishra, who will definitely shoot it aestethically. That being said Neil has an interesting lineup and is experimenting so that is good. Thanks for the article.