SCOOP!! & NEWS Shoaib Akhtar offered role in Bollywood film14th May 2005 22.39 IST By Agencies Pakistani pace ace Shoaib Akhtar, has been offered the role of a gangster-on-the run in an Indian film `Gangster' by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt . "We were looking out for a person who had the combination of a young vulnerable face with the rawness of an animal instinct. Earlier we had thought of Sanjay Dutt , but there were date problems, so when Meera , actress of my film ` Nazar ', suggested Shoaib, I jumped at the idea", Bhatt told a news agency in Mumbai. 
The film to be directed by Anurag Bose will be shot abroad, he said adding that they had assured Shoaib that they would start shooting soon once he gives his nod. "But it is only after I meet the cricketer that the picture would be clear", Bhatt said. "It was Meera who was instrumental in helping me get in touch with Shoaib and speak to him on phone", he said. "Shoaib was initially amused by the idea but when he realised that the role was real and was offered to Sanjay Dutt, he took it up seriously and has agreed to meet me when I fly down to Pakistan next week", he said. "We will try and convince him about the need of using cricket and cinema to boost ties and bring a change in the relationship between both countries", he said. The filmmaker said he was also scheduled to meet the Pakistani Prime Minister to discuss on using cinema as part of confidence building measures between the two neighbouring countries. "Pakistan channel `Aaj' has arranged for a platform for the meeting in a programme titled "Aaj Dosti", he said adding that he would be accompanied by his wife and director Soni Razdan. "We hope to raise the issue of permitting Indian films to be screened abroad during the meeting", he said. | ALSO READ scoop ~ Michael Jackson converts to Islam: report ~ A R Rahman inspires people to vote! ~ Hrithik Roshan to play lord Ram? ~ Sada enters Bollywood with 'Khallballi' ~ Konkona Sen does a lesbian act! ~ Ash and Bon Jovi unite for Live Earth ~ How Salman improvised a romantic scene with Katrina! ~ Katrina Kaif did 'Yuvvraaj' for emotional reasons ( more in scoop ) happenings ~ Big B, Bon Jovi and Roger Waters team up for a cause ~ 'Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!' to premiere at IFFI ( more in happenings ) AKC HOT INDEX ECARDS > Halloween, New Year, Diwali, Birthday, Valentines, Love, Christmas MOVIES Dostana, Dasvidaniya, Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi, EMI, Golmaal Returns, Fashion, Heroes, Roadside Romeo, Kidnap, Drona, Yuvvraaj , Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi , Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! , Sorry Bhai MUSIC Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi , Yuvvraaj celebs » wallpapers » the celeb A-Z who's in » Katrina Kaif | Deepika Padukone | Ranbir Kapoor | Harman Baweja | Aishwarya Rai | Abhishek Bachchan | Imran Khan | Shahrukh Khan | Salman Khan | Aamir Khan | Hrithik Roshan | Akshay Kumar | Zayed Khan | Saif Ali Khan | John Abraham | Shahid Kapur | Kareena Kapoor | Vidya Balan | Priyanka Chopra | Rani Mukherjee | Mallika Sherawat | Bipasha Basu | Preity Zinta | Kajol | Neha Dhupia | Sameera Reddy | Juhi Chawla | Karisma Kapoor | Madhuri Dixit | Zeenat Aman | Payal Rohatgi | Sneha Ullal | Mahima Chaudhary | Meghna Naidu | Gayatri Joshi | Rakhi Sawant | Bhumika Chawla | Lisa Ray | Dimple Kapadia | Ayesha Takia | Dia Mirza | Sushmita Sen | Amisha Patel | Esha Deol | Amrita Rao | Amrita Arora | Genelia D'Souza | Arjun Rampal | Amitabh Bachchan | Vivek Oberoi | Raima Sen | Riya Sen | Rekha | Rimi Sen | Nigar Khan | Tanushree Dutta | Yana Gupta | Deepal Shaw | Shilpa Shetty | Celina Jaitley | Sonam Kapoor | Neha Oberoi | Nisha Rawal | Manjari Fadnis | Kamal Haasan | Rajnikant | Asin | Sanjay Dutt | Shahid Kapoor | Sherlyn Chopra | Farhan Akhtar | Prachi Desai | Koel Purie | Shahana Goswami | Adah Sharma | Kangana Ranaut | Anushka Sharma | Mugdha Godse | Masumeh Makhija | Minissha Lamba | Vidya Malvade | Malaika Arora | Shweta Kumar | | more... | 
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