| It's been confirmed that Amitabh Bachchan won't play the role written for him by Anees Bazmee for his forthcoming directorial Welcome starring producer Feroz Nadiadwala's blue-eyed boy. Bachchan's loss is Nana Patekar's gain.
Feroz Khan, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif will also star in the film, set to tunes by Himesh Reshammiya.
"We are speaking to Lara Dutta for the other female lead," Bazmee tells hitList. Katrina will be opposite Kumar, while Lara (if on) will be opposite Kapoor. The director informs, "Nana will play Katrina's brother who is a big businessman but people feel that his money is dirty and his business is just a front."
Wanted Bachchan for role
Bachchan's recent illness, which required hospitalisation was the sole reason why he does not find himself in Welcome. Bazmee explains, "I wanted Amitji to do the role. I was just about to meet him for the same, when he fell ill. Thereafter, his other pending films require attention first. It will be difficult to start the film with Bachchan saab on time."
"That way, for every role I write, I always have four or five names in mind. But I am sure that I'll get an opportunity to work with Amitji in future," he adds. Not the first time
Ironically, this is the second time that Bachchan didn't feature in a Nadiadwala venture. Bachchan had walked out of Nadiadwala's Kutumb, which was supposed to cast Big B in a role similar to Marlon Brando's role in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. Too much inteference
Bachchan's decision to back out of Kutumb came when its director Mahesh Manjrekar was replaced with Vikram Bhatt. It is believed that Nadiadwala favoured Akshay, while Manjrekar insisted on personal favourite Sanjay Dutt.
He was also annoyed with Nadiadwala's interference in the script. Kutumb, which was also supposed to star Abhishek Bachchan as Amitabh's second offspring, however, never materialised. Interestingly, there too, the director (Vikram) was considering Nana Patekar for Bachchan's role.
Another gainer in Welcome has been Anil Kapoor. Ajay Devgan was the first choice to do his role.
"Devgan is very busy with his other films' shootings. I did speak to him, but we couldn't close in on the dates. Plus I am doing a film with him which UTV and Ajay are co-producing. So he is also tied up with that," says the director whose latest directorial No Entry gave a new lease of life to producer Boney Kapoor. Khan saab loves me
The stylish Feroz Khan will be acting in an outside banner for the second time. Recently, he was seen in Pritish Nandy Communications' Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena.
"Khan's character will have grey shades. Khan Saab is a fantastic person with an awesome personality.
We met in South Africa when I was shooting No Entry and he was shooting for Jaanasheen. He was also very happy with Fardeen's
work in my directorial No Entry. He loves me very much," Bazmee reveals.
"It's early days to give away the plot, but Welcome is basically a love story between Akshay and Katrina with lots of fun and entertainment," the director signs off.
Shooting starts next month in Dubai, to be followed by a schedule in the US. Welcome is being targetted for a Diwali 2006 release.
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