Kareena was always my first choice: Madhur Bhandarkar

Shooting for Heroine began over the weekend in grand style. National Award-winning filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar and Kareena Kapoor were present on the sets as the red carpet was laid out for the scene.

Flash-bulbs popped and the paparazzi went into a tizzy as Kareena dressed in a short black dress, stepped out of her high-end luxury car, accompanied by Madhur.

Bebo calls the film "a fascinating insider's account of a leading lady's life". She adds, "Madhur has touched on some aspects that have never been explored on screen before.'' Ask her if she was offered eight crores for the film (including a share in the profits) and she clams up. "I've been rewarded with a role of a lifetime. Everything else is a bonus,'' she insists.

For Madhur, just the fact that Heroine has gone on the floors is a happy moment. "We've started work in right earnest,'' he says. "Our target is to make a hard-hitting, mainstream commercial film that will shock and entertain.'' Known for his amazing collaborations with some of the top heroines - Tabu, Konkona Sen Sharma Shorey, Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu and Kangna Ranaut, Madhur says, "Working with Kareena is a dream come true. She was always my first choice.''

Heroine, a UTV Motion Pictures and Bhandarkar Entertainment co-production, has Manish Malhotra designing for Bebo and music director duo Salim-Sulaiman scoring the music. Arjun Rampal, Randeep Hooda and Shahana Goswami also star in the film. Siddharth Roy Kapoor, CEO, UTV, is excited about the association with Madhur because their last outing Fashion brought them accolades, National Awards and box office returns. He says, "Heroine is one of the most anticipated movies of 2012 and for all of us associated with it that means a lot of hard work over the next few months to meet the massive audience expectations. With an excellent script, a talented director and a superb cast and crew, we're confident we'll be up to the challenge!"

The project also marks 10 years of Madhur's critical and commercial success. In the span of his career, he has bagged 11 National Awards. "But Heroine is my biggest film,'' he says. "I'm delighted that I'm making this film with this production house. We made a fabulous team for Fashion and we're happy to be taking this beautiful relationship forward.''



Courtesy : TOI