Ileana D

Scoffing at the misplaced confidence of reports that Ileana d’Cruz will star opposite Akshay Kumar in <em>Gabbar</em>, the Hindi remake of A. Murugadoss’ Tamil blockbuster <em>Ramana</em>, producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali says, “The report is absolutely false. It is most definitely not Ileana. We are yet to zero in on a leading lady for Akshay in <em>Gabbar</em>. But it will be someone who brings a freshness to the project.” Another source close to the project adds that the heroine’s part in <em>Gabbar</em> is work in progress.

Like many of her colleagues from South Indian cinema, Ileana d’Cruz intends to move to Mumbai after discovering success in this part of the world. In <em>Barfi</em> this pretty star of the Telugu cinema has managed to hold her own in spite of bravura performances by Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor. Says the pretty actress, “I am planning to move to Mumbai very soon, probably in the next couple of months.”

Starring: <strong>Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana d’Cruz</strong> Directed by <strong>Anurag Basu</strong> Rating: <strong>**** ?</strong> Silences seldom spoke so eloquently. It’s been a while since we saw a film that set style at a subsidiary state to substance, put the characters’ inner life ahead of the flamboyant manifestations of self-identity in a world governed by benevolence and charm.