Courting International projects and getting a taste of what lies beyond Bollywood, is the new game indulged by Hollywood's Eastern counterpart.
"I prefer to rule in hell than serve in heaven," were the infamous words spoken by Shah Rukh Khan when asked if he would take on international or Hollywood projects. To his credit, he has not budged from his stand. His recent remarks, made during his visit to Dubai to promote his release Om Shanti Om, validated his stand further.
When e+ asked him if his new-grown six-pack abs would fetch him a role in Hollywood, he rebuffed it in Shakespearean style: "They [Hollywood] know not of what they are missing out on." But this is at one end of the spectrum. On the other end are a number of talented actors who are willing to give foreign ventures a fair shot.
Cases in point are actors such as Hrithik Roshan and Celina Jaitley. They are both represented by the same Hollywood agency that serves high-profile clients such as Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. When e+ caught up with Jaitley, she was excited about spending months in New Zealand to shoot scenes for her first international project Love Has No Language, directed by Ken Khan.
"I am totally exhausted, but I am loving every moment of it. My first movie on international shores is shaping out pretty well. In the movie I play a Catholic girl belonging to an Indian immigrant family who has settled in New Zealand," she says. Spending several months shooting on unfamiliar terrain and in freezing conditions has not dampened her enthusiasm. "What I love about foreign cinema is that they stick to their script, and the characters are far more believable than the ones in Bollywood. For instance, despite essaying the role of an Indian girl, I am not dancing around the mountains draped in designer chiffon saris."
What impressed her even more was the fact that the director was very particular about her appearance (clothes) as a middle-class girl.
"Unlike middle-class girls in Bollywood movies, I will not be wearing Gucci glasses and carrying Louis Vuitton bags," she says.
Asked if the Bollywood-bashing and the Hollywood-hailing was the result of being cold-shouldered by the Indian industry, Celina was quick to respond. "My loyalty belongs to Bollywood and I have more than five offers in my kitty. But I've always wanted to experiment," she says.
Her first Hollywood venture Quest Of Sheherzade is just taking off. "I play the role of an Iranian princess in this drama. For the next few months I will be shuttling between Hollywod and Mumbai. But who's complaining," she says.
That's the story of Celina and her courtship with foreign projects. Check out the side-bar for the list of Bollywood actors who are hoping to make a breakthrough in Hollwood.
Hopeful as ever
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Her first Hollywood venture The Last Legion and her international project Bride And Prejudice sank without a trace. But that has not deterred the beauty from her chosen path. Ash is now hoping to make up for the lost time with Pink Panther 2.
But one can't help wonder whether a role rejected by both Celina Jaitley and Shilpa Shetty (Celina found the role insignificant while Shetty cited a hectic schedule) will help Ash.
Hrithik Roshan
It's no secret that Hrithik Roshan has been actively pursuing Hollywood. But sadly, plum offers remain elusive for this
super hunk.
Case in point was the inconsequential role offered to Roshan in the movie Pink Panther 2. To tide over the spate of ill-luck, he has on board the LA-based Brillstein Entertainment Partners (the same agency that represents Brad Pitt).
Shilpa Shetty
It's raining offers for this Celebrity Big Brother winner. According to Shetty's publicist, Dale Bhagwagar, the actress has as many as six filmmakers from the UK and the US asking her to act in their films.
Apparently, a Spanish film-maker is also trying his best to rope in the actress. "Despite informing him that she did not speak Spanish, he was more than willing to accommodate her," Bhagwagar adds.
Sushmita Sen
Richard Gere will not forget his recent visit to India for a long time. His impromptu kiss and hug with Shilpa Shetty landed him enough trouble, but that has not stopped him from taking on a film with Bollywood hottie Sushmita Sen.
They will be seen together in the movie The Expat, an Indo-US venture produced by Miramax films.
This is Sen's second venture. The first one was the Indo-American venture Karma, Confessions and Holi featuring Naomi Cambell.
John Abraham
John will play the role of an activist in his first Hollywood venture Luna. Directed by Deepa Mehta, the film stars Rachel Weisz in the title role.
