MUMBAI: Whether Ranbir Kapoor will be shooting in Pakistan or not has become a million dollar question for ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ director Mira Nair.
Buzz has it that Mira, who arrives in Mumbai next week, will soon be deciding on the hero – Ranbir or Shahid, depending on whom she can convince to shoot in Pakistan.
Talking to a daily, a source said, “Mira is no stranger to casting hiccups. For ‘The Namesake’, her first choices for the lead were Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee. But Rani didn’t want to play Abhishek`s mother. The roles finally went to Tabu and Kal Penn.”
Apparently, Mira’s first choice for the lead actor in ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ was Ranbir Kapoor as the source added, “RK was interested but the minute Pakistan was mentioned, his parents recoiled. Rishi still remembers how hard his father, the late Raj Kapoor, tried to get permission to shoot in Pakistan for his Indo-Pak love story ‘Henna’ but never got it in his lifetime.
His son Randhir later directed the film but even he couldn’t shoot on location and had to make do simply with an actress belonging to Pakistan.” However, talking on the availability of Shahid Kapoor, the source continued, “Shahid is busy with his father’s ‘Mausam’ but is keen to meet Mira and work out the details. Going to Pakistan is not such a problem for him. Even though his parents would object, he can convince them.”
It is believed that Ranbir has showed a renewed interest in doing Mira Nair’s film and is eagerly looking forward to it. When contacted Nair about the male lead for ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ she said, “I am in discussions with both Ranbir and Shahid. But all decisions can be taken only when I meet them in person next week.”
