Riya in-Riya out-Riya let back in

Riya Sen

The October 22, 2005 issue of hitList broke the news that Riya and Raima will star in the English flick The Bong Connection, directed by Anjan Dutt.

Few days later, Riya opted out because her dates for Subhash Ghai's film Apna Sapna Money Money were clashing with those of The Bong Connection.

Kahani puri filmi hai

The latest is that Riya has now re-entered The Bong Connection.

Talking to this hitList correspondent in Kolkata where the shooting commenced last week, Riya said, "Mukta Arts' film dates got adjusted, and I saw no reason in letting go of this great opportunity.

The Bong Connection has a great story and will make the viewers look at me with a new, different perspective."

Ira replaced

Producer Joy B Ganguly revealed that when Riya had expressed her inability to do the film, they had zeroed down on Lilette Dubey's daughter Ira.

"Anjan Dutt knew Ira, because he has worked with her mother in an English film Bow Barracks Forever, but I was not too keen. Primarily, because Ira is not a Bengali and the role is tailor-made for Riya.

When Riya called the line producer, Sanjay Pathak and said that she could do the film after all, we were in advanced state of discussions with Lilette Dubey's daughter Ira. My team and I discussed this and we felt since things were falling in place with the original plan, we should go with Riya for the role." Produced under the banner Moxie India, The Bong Connection also stars Victor Banerjee, Shayan Munshi and newcomer Param Datta. It is based on the lives of Bengalis living in India, as well as abroad. The film will be shot in Kolkata and Houston.

Knowing Ira Ira Dubey Ira Dubey the younger daughter of Theatre and film actress Lilette Dubey is no novice when it comes to acting. Presently majoring in theatre at Yale University, Ira has been actively involved in the performance arts since the age of six. She has acted in over 15 productions of the Delhi-based children's theatre group Kids World. She is trained in Indian classical music and in modern jazz dance as well. In the past year, she acted in three theatrical productions; Womanly Voices and 30 days and The Maids. Currently Ira is assistant-directing a new production, Sammy produced by the Primetime Theatre Co. Fog is her second film, slated to complete shooting before Ira returns to Yale in January 2006 to complete her studies.