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If Ash-Madhuri can, why Riya and Raima can't?

Remember how Sanjay Leela Bhansali defied Saratchandra Cahtterjee's novel and made the purists howl in protest by bringing 'Paro' Aishwarya Rai and 'Chandramukhi' Madhuri Dixit in Devdas together, just so that audiences don't feel cheated about the two two actresses not coming together?

If Raima Sen has her way she too will get her director to redefine a literary work for practical commercial reasons.

Rabindranath Tagore may or may not like it. But Raima will came face to face with her sister Riya Sen in Rituparno Ghosh's adaptation of Tagore's novel Nauka Dubi.

"There's no way the audience will accept me and my sister in the same movie without having scenes together. In the original story our characters don't come together at all. But Riya and I have to come face to face in our first film together."

Raima who's currently working on the sets of two films simultaneously is kicked by the idea of sharing screen space with her sister. "We were supposed to come together earlier in Vicky Chopra's Seasons Greetings. But that didn't work out. It was an episodic film and we just had a small segment to ourselves."

And though the producers have plans to dub Nauka Dubi into Hindi Raima is totally opposed to it.

"I know how strange it sounds when my Bengali films are dubbed into Hindi. It happened with Anuranan and and more recently with Khela. When Pradeep Sarkar when to see Khela he told me he had gone to see a Bengali film. He ended up watching a Hindi film. Rabindranath Tagore's characters will look very strange talking in Hindi."

It was Riya who brought the Nauka Dubi project together.

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

How Vidya Balan ditched Sooraj Barjatya

Vidya Balan ditched Sooraj Barjatya at the last minute. This may sound shocking but it is actually true! Rajshri Productions' Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi was to star Vidya Balan in the lead opposite Bobby Deol originally.

But now the November 7th releasing film has Eesha Koppikar along with Sonu Sood playing the main lead. So what went wrong?

Our sources revealed, "Sooraj Barjatya had approached Bobby Deol and Vidya Balan for his written film Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi being directed by debutante Kaushik Ghatak. They both had given their consent for the film.

But then though Bobby initially found the family oriented subject appealing, as the days progressed he developed cold feet. He excused himself out of the film citing dates problem.

Sooraj had hoped that he would find a suitable actor in the A list to play the romantic lead opposite Vidya. But as that didn't look to materialise, Vidya chickened out of the project preferring to do Kismat Konection along with Shahid.

Sooraj was then left with no option but to rope in small names like Eesha Koppikar and Sonu Sood to stop the film getting stalled even before it was about to be shot!"

It looks a remote possibility that Sooraj Barjatya will now ever approach either Vidya Balan or Bobby Deol to star in any of his Rajshri banner films!

For Gossips And Mirch Masala Log On To Bollywood Paradize

King Khan will light up your next Diwali

For all those who felt bad about the fact that King Khan was missing in action this Diwali, there's some good news.

There will be much of SRK in the latter part of 2009. The word is that Yash Raj Films have signed up their favourite SRK again.

No, this one isn't a comeback vehicle for old-timer Yash Chopra but a film with Ashutosh Gowarikar's assistant Rakesh Kapoor (the Yash Raj banner is promoting another new talent!)

Rakesh has reportedly said, "I cannot say anything. I just want to thank Adi (Aditya Chopra) as he called me up last week and selected my script and me as director. I am really excited as this will be the biggest film to come out in 2009, touchwood.

Shah Rukh is fixed and my friends Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are doing the music. We are starting from March after Shah Rukh comes back from the US. Adi has said that they will release this film on 2009 Diwali."

SRK's 'My Name Is Khan' directed by Karan Johar is also releasing around Christmas 2009 and if this film happens it will be a double bonanza for SRK fans! His home production 'Billoo Barber' releases early next year as well.

So it's King Khan all the way in 2009!