Mallika Sherwat was shown the door by Sachiin Joshi who's ready to star in his second film directed by Ankush Bhatt.
Aazaan's leading man Sachiin Joshi has discovered that Mallika Sherawat who agreed to play the lead opposite him within the edgy Mumbai underworld thriller Mumbai Mirror, doesn't come cheap. Or easy.
Having paid the self styled international star a whopping signing fee (approximately Rs 50 lakhs) to join the film, Joshi came upon that Mallika had a variety of reservations in regards to the film, and that included the director. In a panic Joshi and his crew have spent a big a part of the last month seeking to convince the actress that the project is worthy of her august presence. But to no avail.
The deal has fallen through. And now we hear Mallika has walked out of the project. For the reason that shooting in far-off exotic places was to start out in May Joshi and his crew are stuck for a number one lady. He's now taking a look at a last-minute replacement and inquiring for his a refund from Sherawat.
A source on the subject of the project told us all of the details. "She isn't willing to go back the cash and Sachin is being advised to regulate the volume with a later project. Sachiin Joshi is a producer who can afford to shop for himself the co-star he wants. He wanted Mallika on this earthy edgy tackle Mumbai's underworld. He had agreed to pay her a reported Rs 2 crores for 15 days work. Once you have get her to sign up the dotted line, the clothes, dates, etc. were worked out."
That's where the fastidious Ms Sherawat stuck.
Says the source, "Mallika had reservations in regards to the director Ankush Bhatt. She felt he hadn't proved himself yet. Joshi felt otherwise. He offered to turn Mallika the director's first film Bhendi Bazaar Inc. But she was unconvinced. Then she had reservations about her role. To this point Mallika has only played urban glamorous characters. In Mumbai Mirror, she was cast as an earthy gritty woman of the road. It is a character and a global that she wasn't conversant in. Mallika wondered aloud if she can be capable of pull it off."
Sachiin Joshi tried to minimize the tension level . "Yes, Mallika does have reservations regarding her role and the director. She wasn't sure if Ankush could be capable of deliver. I showed her Ankush's first film Bhendi Bazaar Inc. You see, Mumbai Mirror goes into an action space different from the stylized action that I did in Aazaan. It's like Ram Gopal Varma's Satya meets Anees Bazmee's Ready. And that i knew Ankush was perfect to direct it."
Sachiin laughs, "THE ENTIRE film is about in Mumbai. It's called Mumbai Mirror as it reflects the tough reality of town under the polished surface. We were looking for a title when my eyes fell at the popular tabloid in my hands. Mumbai Mirror was perfect."
