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'No Hrithik uncle, no cutting cake'

Believe it or not, but it is true. Last week Hrithik Roshan got an unexpected call from a colleague of his. It was Govinda, who called in to request Hrithik to attend his daughter, Narmada's birthday party, because the girl had refused to cut her cake unless "her Hrithik came for the party." The young star, who was shooting for Vidhu Vinod Chopra, of course, said that he would, provided the director released him. And though Govinda personally called Chopra as well, the filmmaker could pack up shooting only close to 11 pm. Hrithik rushed to the suburban hotel where the party was being held and was in for a surprise. He found all the guests -- the children and their parents and escorts -- waiting for the Roshan Jr to arrive. Govinda's daughter had stuck to her resolve, "No Hrithik uncle, no cutting the cake," and the other children had supported her most willingly. "Now I know what stardom means," chuckled Govinda, at the end of the party, when he profusely thanked Hrithik for his wonderful gesture.

Sooraj-Hrithik: No comments yet

While on Hrithik, here's our promise of keeping you informed about his film with Sooraj Barjatya. Meetings are in progress and work on the script is proceeding at a brisk pace. But neither of the two is willing to comment on the project. One of the primary reasons behind this is that Hrithik has not heard the script yet, and being in the position he is today, he has the power to refuse a film on the pretext of not having liked the script. And Sooraj, say sources close to him, is slightly affected by the fate of Hum Saath-Saath Hain. So until the director completes work on the script, the status quo continues, as do the stance of 'No comments...'

Will Devaa be revived?

A title becomes the bone of contention? Nowhere else is this possible except Bollywood, you could say and rightly so! Filmmaker Guddu Dhanoa felt that the title Devaa was apt for the film that he was going to start with Sunny Deol. But then he realised that the title was with Subhash Ghai. So in stepped Sunny, who personally requested Ghai to part with the title (Remember years ago, Ghai and Amitabh Bachchan were to team up for a film titled Devaa, which was later unceremoniously scrapped?) But Ghai was adamant. No amount of pleading and requests from Sunny yielded any results because the filmmaker kept insisting that he needed the title. Does that indicate that there is a chance of the project being revived soon? With Bachchan seeming keen (and also needing good directors to work with) and Ghai willing to relent, Devaa might just be revived.

Govinda plays truant

Filmmakers who are keen to sign up Govinda, better be warned. No matter what, they shouldn't make the mistake of paying the star his full remuneration before the commencement of the film. A down payment with Govinda spells trouble, a fact the producers of Hadh Kar Di Aap Ne and Shikari would vouch for. These producers were keen on getting Govinda for their films and paid up the full amount upfront, hoping to tempt the star to accept the film and bag immediate dates. The former happened, but not the latter. More than four years have passed now, but the films are still trotting along with more cancellations than shooting schedules.

Shefali paired opposite Bachchan

Shefali Chhaya -- the actress who charmed the audiences on the small screen with her performance as Saavi in the serial Hasratein and later went on to bag awards for her portrayal of the gangster's wife in Satya -- has finally succumbed. She has earlier been offered to play the lead opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Sooryavansham and Mehul Kumar's Kohraam, both of which she refused. Only because she did not want to be bracketed in the older category. But then the subsequent offers (or rather, lack of them) have opened Shefali's eyes. And she has said yes to being paired opposite Bachchan in Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein. Does it have something to do with the fact that her current boyfriend has been promised a break as a writer in the Yash Chopra camp?

Rani reigns

There is an actress called Kartika Rane, whose performances have been widely appreciated on the small screen. And she would have got a major break on the silver screen too, in producer Mukesh Bhatt's film Tumko Meri Kasam, opposite Anil Kapoor. Believe it or not, the girl was finalised and signed up. She even shot the publicity stills for the film at an extended shoot. But in stepped Rani Mukherjee who is said to have walked up to Vikram Bhatt, the director of the film, and insisted that he sign her. Vikram is said to have succumbed to Rani's charms and before anyone knew it, Kartika was out and Rani in. But apparently, it also had something to do with Anil's choice. It seems he has been recommending Rani ever since he started work with her on Sudhir Mishra's film.

One Shetty too many

Namrata Shirodkar is quite a gutsy girl. Though her career is not exactly going great guns, the former Miss India makes no bones about admitting and talking about the love of her life, Deepak Shetty. The duo has been going steady ever since her modelling days. While other girls in her place would have hidden their boyfriends, Namrata had no problems letting Deepak tag along with her for shootings. And it works to her advantage as well, as he helps keep the wolves at bay. But then how come Deepak never accompanies her when she is shooting with the other Shetty, Sunil Shetty? Two Shettys on the same set? Perhaps, Namrata does know what is right for her.

-- The Insider