For every Shabana Azmi, Om Puri and Irrfan Khan who actually worked with A-listers in Hollywood there is a Saif Ali Khan,a Deepika Padukone and an Anushka Sharma who couldn't/wouldn't/didn't. Why do Indian actors open their mouths so enthusiastically whenever it comes to a Hollywood project...only to look red-faced when the project turns out to be a non-starter?
Here's looking at 10 Bollywood-chala-Hollywood fiasco
Aishwarya Rai-Michael Douglas: Long before Michael put his foot in his mouth with his comments on oral sex being the cause of his cancer, he was meant to do a a sequel to Romancing The Stone with Aishwarya Rai . To her credit Aishwarya came close to working on this project. Locations were scouted in India. But then the project proved economically not viable.Or something.
Hrithik Roshan-Tarsem Singh: There were very strong possibilities of Hrithik playing Hamlet with director Tarsem Singh who has worked with the likes of Jennifer Lopez , Britney Spears and Beyonce. But Hrithik was too busy for Hamlet, and Tarsem. Rather than make it with his second choice, Tarsem dropped the project altogether. Impressively Hrithik has chosen to remain on home turf in spite of hot feelers from Hollywood.
Saif Ali Khan-Natalie Portman: Wrong Khan! It was Irrfan who worked with Natalie Portman in Mira Nair's short film on New York. Saif was just fantasizing out loud when he "happened" to mention in an interview that he was working with the lovely Ms Portman. The "joke" backfired as the matter apparently got legal.Ouch.
Shah Rukh-Martin Scorcsese: Reports of Shah Rukh Khan coming together with the Raging Bull director with a film starring King Khan and Scorcese's favourite actor Leonard diCaprio flooded the Indian press. Stout denials from Scorcese's camp left us all looking truly idiotic. Really, Shah Rukh didn't need this.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-Will Smith: This one really and truly would've happened. Will Smith was most keen that Ms Rai play the lead with him in John Hancock. In fact he personally invited her after bathing her in compliments. But at that time Aishwarya was busy looking after Abhishek's critically-ill grandmother. Exemplary no?In a country where stars are known to slavishly jump through the hoop even when Hollywood doesn't even beckon?
Shekhar Kapoor-Kristen Stewart: Rumours were rife that the Twilight bella Kristen Stewart would be playing the lead opposite Hrithik Roshan in Paani. But so much paani has flown under the bridge. No sign of the lovely Ms Stewart. Please don't giggle. But there were reports that the possessive Robert Pattinson didn't want her to pair with Hrithik.
Sudipto Sen-Russel Crowe: This little-known Bengali filmmaker bragged he was in "advanced talks" with Russel Crowe for a film on the Kumbh Mela. "Advanced talks" is a euphemism for a Hollywood wish-list in Bollywood.
Steven Spielberg-Anushka Sharma: Barely had Spielberg flown back to the US after his flying visit to to Bollywood when rumours that he would make a film set in India with Anushka in the lead floated freely. Last heart poor Spielberg was scratching his head trying to remember who among the heroines who shook hands with him was Ms Sharma. (TROLLed)
Anubhav Sinha-Paul Schrader: Shhh! Don't tell anyone. But the director of that monumental spectacle Ra.One was all set to make a Slumdog Millionaire type of Mumbai epic with American Gigolo director Paul Schrader. Anubhav claimed Schrader had visited the slums of Dharavi for location hunting.Maybe he never returned because the anubhav' was too much to bear?
Fast & Furious-Deepika Padukone: The franchise should be re-named Fast & Furiously Funny. In no time at all names such as Sonam Kapoor, Neetu Chandra and ,ahem, Deepika were flying around as contenders for the heroine's part in the next Fast & Furious film . Deepika apparently even informed Homi Adjani and Saif Ali Khan that she may not be able to do their new project Finding Frenny Fernandes if Fast & Furious happened. All we can say, laut ke buddoo ghar ho aaye. And Deepika, we love you without the Hollywood tag.
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