After Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh's guest appearance in Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai, it is Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's turn to make an appearance in a film.
Lalu will be seen in Mahesh Manjrekar's Padmashree Laloo Prasad Yadav.
Some members of the cast like Suniel Shetty, Kim Sharma, Masumi Makhija and producer Manik Bedi (younger son of the late filmmaker Narinder Bedi) flew down to Patna recently for a rendezvous with Lalu.
Shetty, who had to postpone the first day's shooting of another film, had to wait until late afternoon for a 9.30 am appointment.
But he claims, "We really hit it off. Laluji is such a rock star. He's amazing. And what an entertainer! Yes, he has very kindly agreed to make an appearance in the film."
Director Mahesh Manjrekar, who is currently shooting Life Ho Tai Aisi with Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao, could not accompany his cast to Patna. "It was impossible for me to get away from shooting since there were a dozen actors, whose dates had been co-ordinated," he says. "But I spoke to Laluji on the phone while they were there. Luckily, he has agreed to shoot for our film. I will probably fly down with my cast later this week, depending on when he confirms the date."
Lalu will appear at the end of the film when the three heroes -- Laloo (Shetty), Prasad (Johnny Lever) and Yadav (Manjrekar) -- run into him on the road in Patna.
"It is a fabulous item and one that should bring the house down," says Bedi, who debuts in production. "What better way to start than to get Laluji's blessings?"
This is not the only Manjrekar film with a surprise guest appearance. In the one-man show Struggler, Amitabh Bachchan appears as himself at the end as the struggler (Manjrekar) runs into the icon.
In Life Ho To Aisi, Manjrekar's favourite actor Sanjay Dutt plays Yamaraj, the God of death. "Sanju is a scream!" exclaims Manjrekar. "And Laluji will be even more entertaining in my film."
