Thursday, February 28
More Bollywood news: Even actor passed over weighs in on 'playing gay'
Source: OneIndia, NDTV Movies
Indian actor Kushal Punjabi insists he doesn't mind being passed over for a role as a gay fashion designer in a major upcoming Bollywood film. Really. He doesn't care at all.
The upcoming Bollywood feature,
Fashion, continues to bring non-gay actors out of the role-closet. The film first prompted weeks of speculation about which actors might be willing to "play gay" for the film that features two flamboyant gay designers.
The hyperactive Bollywood fan press -- which has printed stories about every aspect of the film's progress -- now reports that Fashion's director, Madhur Bhandarkar, had a long meeting with the actor Kushal Punjabi but the director didn't find him suitable enough to play a gay role in Fashion.
The role went to Samir Soni. Apart from him, Harsh Chhaya will also be seen as a gay designer in Fashion.
"I really got along well with Madhur. He's my kind of a director. But I really didn't see myself in that role at all. I'd like to work with directors like Madhur who look at actors as actors and not as stars," laughs Kushal. Enough of being shortchanged by lesser actors who happen to be stars.
Kushal is currently being considered by a major production house for the second lead with Akshay Kumar. "But the problem is, once you acquire the reputation of a competent actor the big stars shy away from working with you." It happened with Arshad Warsi. Now it's happening with Kushal. "But it's okay. I make enough money to live the way I want to. In fact, I've just bought myself a home. And in Bombay that's a dream come true."
Full article: Actor Kushal Punjabi | Madhur Bhandarkar | Film Fashion | Harsh Chhaya | Samir Soni