Bips in bed with Billy!

In the Daniel Silverman and Tapan Saha-directed Chimera, Bipasha Basu will do a never-before-seen lovemaking scene with Billy Titanic Zane. If Zane gives his dates, the Bong hottie will begin shooting for the film in July. And if Sharon Stone gives her nod, she’ll soon be shooting at Vidyasagar Setu for another film directed by Saha

Putting all speculations to rest, Bipasha Basu has agreed to do her first Hollywood movie, titled Chimera. Directed by Daniel Silverman and Tapan Saha, the film is expected to go on the floors in July. That’s provided Billy Zane, who has signed the film, is able to give his dates and come down to Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani to shoot for the film, that also has Victor Banerjee playing Bipasha’s father.

Says Saha, “Chimera is a paranormal thriller. Zane plays an American doctor, who takes up an offer in India to work in a hospital.

There, he treats Bipasha. I’ve approached Shabana Azmi to play Bipasha’s mother. I’d want Anil Kapoor to play Billy’s Indian friend.” Bipasha, however, isn’t willing to speak about Chimera just yet. Confirming that Bipasha is doing the film, her manager, Tanujaa V Mehra, sent a message, saying, “It’s too early to talk about the project.”

But Saha is more than ready to share an interesting piece of information: “Bipasha has a love-making scene that Indian cinema hasn’t seen her doing before.”

Saha also claims that his next film, Lost Love, might have Sharon Stone in the lead! “The protagonist is a Bengali doctor who meets an American girl and starts living-in with her, till he has to return to India. They meet after 25 years of separation. By then, both have married. I’ll co-direct this film with Ron Colvy,” he says.

There have been quite a few cases of Indian directors claiming to have cast Hollywood biggies. Saha contends, “Hollywood biggies don’t read scripts if you send them independently, unless one routes it through a casting director, who gets in touch with the star’s manager or agent. If the latter finds the script interesting, only then, is it passed on to the star. I had hired a casting director, who has got in touch with Stone’s manager. I’m told she has appreciated the script.” But what about her astronomical fee?

If my reports are correct, Stone would charge Rs 55 crore toRs 60 crore for a project. But actors of her stature also have a huge hunger for good roles. Money isn’t a factor for them. So moved was Zane with my script, that he is almost charging peanuts for Chimera.”
If Stone gives her nod, Saha will be shooting Lost Love in Kolkata this winter.

I’ll be shooting on the Vidyasagar Setu and at Millennium Park. That apart, I need an old house too. There are scenes in Mumbai and Los Angeles. Only if Stone doesn’t agree, I’d think of approaching the agents of Helen Hunt or Emma Thompson. For the male lead, I might approach Amitabh Bachchan,” he says. One can only hope that the casting stories of Lost Love translate into reality and don’t become a chimera in real life.

Titanic director to visit India
Buzz is that Hollywood film-maker James Cameron, the director of Titanic, is likely to visit India next month to participate in a Buddhist ceremony.

The Oscar-winning director is expected to participate in a pilgrimage led by Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the Drukpa lineage of Mahayana Buddhism. The director is likely to attend the second phase of the pilgrimage, which begins next month, from Leh to Hemis in Ladakh. The first phase of the pilgrimage kicked off yesterday from Kardang in Himachal Pradesh, 115 km from Manali. The march spans Northern India, covering 400 km and crossing five Himalayan passes. Drukpa will be accompanied by over 750 Buddhist monks, nuns and people from all across the world.