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http://web.mid-day.com/hitlist/2005/november/123562.htm Pooja signs Dino for next film By: Soumya Menon November 17, 2005
Actor, producer and director Pooja Bhatt has made eight films. After Paap, which met a dismal fate at the box office, Pooja is ready with her musical, Holiday, and says she is excited and positive about the film. A perfect Holiday Holiday is set in Goa, and the reason is obvious, says Pooja. "When you think of a holiday, it's always Goa, because that's the ideal place." The film is about a young girl, who is uncomfortable in her own skin. Onjolee Nair plays the protagonist, Muskaan – gawky and lost in her own world. Dino plays the catalyst, who awakens the true beauty within her. "The lead actress of Holiday is similar to Jassi, but in my film, Muskaan doesn't go through a physical makeover, but experiences a change within herself. A classic ugly duckling-turned-swan story, inspired by films like Dirty Dancing and Strictly Ballroom. It is a classic fairy tale that even an 11-year-old kid can watch. Muskaan's character is something anyone can identify with." It's always music Music excites Pooja, and the director says she likes to centre her films around contemporary music that fits well with today's youth. "From Sur to Jism and Paap, all my films have had different kinds of music, and not regular Bollywood songs. I always want my music to be different. The Latin-American dance element was long planned for Holiday, as Dino plays a salsa dancer. The music is romantic, foot tapping, and very dreamy. And Dino was a conscious choice; watch the film, and you'll tell me no other star could fit the role better. He's dependable and very hard working," says Pooja. Shoot problems Pooja faced a number of problems during the shoot, one of which was the change in the lead character. "I chose Smiley, my cousin, for the lead role and it was mainly because she can dance. But, I later discovered that she could not deliver the character well. So, Onjolee had to replace her." The other problem was with choreographer Sandip Soparkarr, who is actually a dance teacher. "I sacked him because he did not do his job. Because of him, I had to redo four days of shooting, which affected my budget. He, of course, taught Dino the basics of salsa, and I will give him credit for that." What's next for Pooja? "I have four scripts in hand," she says. "One of them is with Dino again; he plays the protagonist. I am looking forward to starting work on it, soon." -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England
