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Cloud over London

Karishma Kapoor with Sunny and Bobby Deol in London. Click for bigger pic!

It had all the right ingredients -- actors who were the toast of the industry, an award-winning director, Gurinder (Bhaji On The Beach) Chadha, an overseas setting... But London was quickly in trouble.

Sunny Deol may have been asking for it when he, a trifle rudely perhaps, hoicked brother Bobby out of his other films and took him off to act in the home production.

And soon, news began to filter down from London (the city) that all was not well with London (the film).

At first, the problems weren't too serious. Karisma Kapoor was unhappy with her living quarters, which she felt were cramped. She also felt Deol was a little tight-fisted. She apparently threw a tantrum till the demanded changes were effected -- she got a villa to herself.

Karishma Kapoor with Sunny and Bobby Deol in London. Click for bigger pic!

Then there was some personal trouble Sunny had, with Dimple Kapadia and Raveena Tandon vying, we hear, for his attention. Last heard, Dimple was pensively contemplating Life (existence, not the mag) at Heathrow airport while Tandon was reportedly recovering from meningitis.

More important, director Chadha, already unused to Bollywood ways, was a little lost making a regular potboiler. So Sunny, being the hot-head he is, called in Rahul Rawail to complete the film. Chadha wasn't too happy with the idea, and she must have been horrified by the changes suggested. So she was made the director of the English version. Yes, there's an Anglo-Saxon form of London too.

Far more important, came rumours that Sunny found the whole deal of making a film with the problems he did very taxing and wanted to shelve the Rs 120 million film.

Rahul Rawail. Click for bigger pic!

None of the concerned parties ventured comment. Rawail, who arrived in Bombay on September 18 from London, claimed everything was all right -- now.

"The film is not shelved. It's very much on and I am not directing it," he said. "Hindi films are shot in a particular format and she (Chadha) was not comfortable with it. She was slightly uncomfortable with the script too... I just helped out with the necessary problems. That 's all," he said.

He was quite firm when he said Chadha was the original director and that he had gone to help the Deols as they are family friends. "Gurinder was and is the director of the film. Both versions," he clarified.

Zohra Sehgal.

Actress Zohra Sehgal, who acted in Bhaji on the Beach, has a role in London too. She appeared reluctant to speak about the controversy-stricken film.

"I have finished most of my work in the film," she admitted. And what about the rest? If Vijeta Films (Sunny Deol's production house) called her, she would go, she said.

Gurinder Chhada too refused to discuss the matter, suggesting that we contact Vijeta Films for details.

A Vijeta Films spokesperson also repeated what Rawail had said -- that he went there to assist, not take over -- and that London wasn't going to be dumped after all. All the rumours, he said, were just that -- rumours.

If the public relations people have to be believed, things couldn't be better. But are they? Check this space.