Hema's dreams .... Director's cut

You would be tempted to think actress Hema Malini, after all these years in the industry, would be the last person to play the gender card. But Bollywood's "dream girl", a tag she earned after starring in a movie by the same title and in over 200 romantic dramas, does not gloss over the harsh realities of Bollywood.

Notoriously ageist, Malini admits to tabloid! that it's slim pickings when it comes to roles suitable for her age. Perhaps, this is what prompted the 64-year-old actress to return to the director's chair.

"There are not many roles written for older women in Bollywood. I would love to act or direct a movie like The Bridges Of Madison County — but such character-driven, author-backed roles are rare. You won't find a Meryl Streep here. But I would love to direct a film like that," she said.

But an intense drama about unrequited love may have to wait as she is busy promoting her directorial venture Tell Me O Khudha (Tell Me Oh God) at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards that kicks off today in Toronto. Touted as a comeback vehicle for her actress daughter Esha Deol, the Seeta Aur Geeta star is quick to put things into perspective.

Good script

"This is not any re-launch for Esha. I am the one who told her not to sign on bad films and to wait for a good script. Mind you, she had many offers but not an extraordinary one. In Tell Me O Khudda, she has a wonderful role and it will showcase her talents well," said Malini, sounding like a stern teacher. After a number of films, her daughter Esha is yet to enter the A-list league with box-office debacles such as Hijack pulling her down further.

"Look, she had never left Bollywood in the first place. All I told her was: ‘Never mind the gap'. It's not a re-launch or anything. I loved the script and that's why I chose to direct it. And it was fun directing both my husband and my daughter in one frame. Don't worry, they followed my every cue," said Malini, whose last directorial venture was in 1992 with Dil Aashna Hai (The Heart Knows) featuring Shah Rukh Khan and the late Divya Bharti. However, she was not willing to divulge whether she makes a cameo in her pre-dominantly family venture.

"You will just have to watch the film. But I can tell you that there's Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna doing good work."

She may be tight-lipped about certain aspects of her project, but she's more than happy to speak about Buddah … Hoga Tera Baap (Your Father is Old) alongside Bollywood titan Amitabh Bachchan.

"The best part about this film is Amitabh Bachchan. He is not an angry young man, but an angry old man in this film. You will see him in a role that you have never seen before," said Malini breaking into a laugh.

Film trailers show Bachchan in flashy clothes and swearing like a trucker at those who dare to make ageist remarks in this drama, releasing on June 30. While her leading hero is at his flamboyant best, she plays a more demure role.

"I play Sita, a very simple wife. But our relationship is not like the one in Baghban [Gardener]," she said, referring to the 2003 film, which set a bench-mark in Bollywood. For once, the focus was on the parents' relationships rather than yuppie 20-somethings.

"Don't expect this film to be anything like the sweet Baghban," she added.

Boys are back for fun 

Billed as Bollywood's answer to Dumb and Dumber, the boys — Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Ashish Chowdhry and Javed Jaffery — are back with the sequel of Dhamaal. Slated to premiere at theIIFA today in Toronto, Double Dhamaal (Double Fun) is set on a bigger canvas with the dim-witted group pursuing their get-rich-quick schemes and a bevy of beauties, including Kangna Ranaut and Mallika Sherawat in the process. tabloid! caught up with its principal players — Warsi, Deshmukh and Ranaut — on what makes Double Dhamaal better than the original.

ARSHAD WARSI: "There's a reason why it took nearly four years for the sequel to be made and that's the script. All of us were particular that the script needs to be a fun-filled one. Plus, there are good-looking women in this film."

DESHMUKH:
"Don't look for sense in this comedy. Go with an open mind and be determined to have fun. Don't worry if the person next to you is not laughing. He will join in sooner or later."

KANGNA RANAUT:
"All those rumours that I had a problem with Mallika [Sherawat, her-co-star] will disappear after you watch this film. All those fun times we had on the sets are reflected on the screen too. The fact that we are both from smalls towns like Harayana and Himachal Pradesh helped us bond. And personally, I think Mallika's Jalebi song is good, I don't have an item song because my role didn't justify such a song."