Saif's stars do not match with female directors...

By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service

/>Mumbai, (IANS) It seems Saif Ali Khan's stars don't tally with women directors. First

Aparna Sen's maiden Hindi film "Gulel" sank after Saif kept her on hold for months before

finally saying no.

Then it was Zoya Akhtar who had to scrap "Luck By Chance" when Saif couldn't make up his

mind.

Now a third female director, Sai Paranjpye, has reportedly been turned away. But Saif has

no knowledge of Paranjpye's project.

Shooting the last lap of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's "Eklavya" in Jaipur, Saif rebuts Sai's

claim.

"I have never met Sai Paranjpye. I have no idea where this comes from. I don't know the

lady at all. I wish her all the best. But I am not doing her film because I don't know her,"

Saif told IANS.

Saif said the only film he has said 'yes' to was Siddharth Anand's next.

"I am so pleased with the way 'Salaam Namaste' shaped up, and now its box office

performance. Wow! It feels good. I heard Siddharth's next script. It is again a very metro

centric film to be shot entirely abroad. Yes, I am doing it. Beyond that I am not looking at

any other film right now, not Sai Paranjpye for sure."

In all fairness, this time around it isn't Saif's fault at all.

Alas Saif isn't inclined to sign that easily on the dotted line. Like all female

directors, Paranjpye - who hasn't made a feature movie since the controversial "Saaz" in

1997 - faces an acute shortage of star participation in her films.

Earlier an Aparna Sen could attract Raakhee for "Paroma", while Kalpana Lajmi convinced

Dimple Kapadia to do "Rudaali". Shrabani Deodhar penciled in Karisma Kapoor for "Silsila Hai

Pyar Ka".

Now female directors find it increasingly tough to get stars for their projects -unless

it's Farah Khan who has an in-house superstar Shah Rukh Khan to support every directorial

move she makes.

Coming back to Saif he is exhausted but triumphant after the experience in Jaipur.

"We shot like maniacs. But the end-result is astonishing. Hats off to Mr. Bachchan

(Amitabh Bachchan). He would be ready with make up and glycerine at five in the morning

while I'd be rubbing my eyes in disbelief."