Movie stars owe their popularity to their fans. But of late, fans of Bollywood stars seem unable to curb their excitement. And at times, it does cross a line (see box). That’s probably why Mallika Sherawat has decided to take pre-emptive measures before an all-India tour to promote her next, Kismet Love Paisa Dilli (KLPD).The actor, whose security cover already consists of roughly 15 bodyguards, has apparently asked the organisers to double it. “Mallika wants around 30 bodyguards when she travels to various cities for promotions. She wants to avoid any kind of untoward incident,” says an insider. During her discussions with the organisers, Mallika was clear that handling fans — in a lot of places —becomes difficult. “Seeing that a few recent incidents have involved female stars, the makers too don’t want to take any chances. So they have agreed to beef up Mallika’s security,” adds the insider. Mallika, along with her co-star Vivek Oberoi, will be travelling to cities like Jaipur, Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. “Since a few places have witnessed instances of misbehaviour, her concerns aren’t unfounded,” says the insider. Of course, Mallika’s added security is likely to burn a hole in the makers’ pockets. The extra security will cost the makers approximately R40 lakh more than earlier budgeted for. “The expenses can only go up, since they would be travelling with her,” adds the insider. While Mallika remained unavailable for a comment (till the time of going to press), producer Amit Chandrra says, “I’m glad that my actors are going out of the way to promote KLPD. So, as a producer, it’s my responsibility to make sure that their security is given utmost importance.”
