Summer Pandey
35 year old Summer hails from Nepal and currently resides in San Diego, California. He stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and his current weight is 165 pounds.
Personal Statement: I am a graduate student trying my luck in Trollywood to see where it takes me. I am so excited to start working on Dostana. Eventually I would like to find someone who I can settle down and share the rest of my life with. However, I know it's not easy to find such a match so I am taking it easy for now and keeping myself busy with school, work outs and now films. I worked out really hard to get into the right shape that Kanti ji wanted for John Abraham's part in DOSTANA. With hard work and dedication, I am confident that I will win your hearts!
Farhaaz Khan
33 year old Farhaaz is originally from Pakistan but grew up in Boston, USA. He stands 6 feet 1 inches tall and his current weight is 170 pounds.
Personal Statement: Some words that people have used to describe me include "loyal" "genuine" "affectionate," and "consistent." I am currently working in Supplier Management for a Fortune 500 company based in Boston. A chance meeting with Trollywood actress Amritaa while I was on vacation led to me eventually being signed for the role of Abhishek Bachchan in Dostana. I like to watch movies, play video games (xbox, ps3, wii), board games and run everyday. I believe that a heathy body breeds a healthy mind. I am a hopeless romantic and can't wait to find the right person for me and to eventually get married and have lots of babies!
Kanti Raaj Shah
Q: Congratulations on the stupendous success of Race. After making Trollywood history, are you nervous about the expectations for "DOSTANA?"
Kanti Raaj: Not really because in Dostana, I am making all the moves that made Race successful - and more! The biggest lesson I have learned is that you cannot take your audience for granted. The audience is very smart and will smell a stale film from a distance. In Dostana, I have a fresh script, fresh casting and a very fresh film. I don't believe any Trollywood movie has been made at such a record speed and for this, I am truly thankful to my entire cast - Malini, Summer, Farhaaz and Suzi are all extremely professional. When you see Dostana, you will see a very fresh and a very 2011 film, whether it is the styling, hair, body or clothes. I have worked especially hard with Malini and asked for several reshoots to get the "right look" for my film. I believe all these details will not go unnoticed and I believe that in Dostana, I have absolutely nothing to be nervous of. I anticipate that this film will take both BPP and Trollywood to a higher level.
Q. You seem convinsed of your starcast but isn't it true that you went through numerous casting changes? From Sasha to Monisha and Chameli to Malini. Why were there so many changes?
Kanti Raaj: Every film goes through casting changes, as people move through different stages in their personal and professional lives. As far as Sasha Basu, I have never taken her seriously. She screen tested for Dostana but my producer did not like her so she was thrown out. It's sad that she chose to use this against me and lash out in the media. Chameli was picked through a global talent contest but she backed out due to personal reasons. As for Monisha, having her on board would have delayed the shooting due to her ongoing court case. Hence, when my producer mentioned that Malini was keen to do Dostana, it was a no brainer. Even though I don't know Malini in person, she is the most professional actress I have ever worked with. She is a complete "director's actress" and does not make any unreasonable demands or throw tantrums unlike some leading actresses. If I ask her to do something, she will trust me 100% and not ask any questions. Being a director, this is of utmost importance to me.
Q: Rumor has it that Natasha rejected DOSTANA because she did not want to work with you after Race?
Kanti Raaj: That's the most rediculous thing I've ever heard. How can someone reject an offer that they did not even receive? I cast Natasha as the lead protagonist in Race because she suited the part of Sonia and many people still say this role was closest to her personality. Natasha is family to me and if the right role comes up, I will not hesitate to make her an offer. However, for DOSTANA I wanted a very youthful and athletic look and when you see the film, I think you will agree that it would not suit Natasha at all. I want to note here that just because someone does not suit a role, does not mean they are good or bad. Even though Karan Johar loves Kajol and she's the best actress around, he cannot cast her as an athletic sexy gal because it just would not suit her image!
Q: When are you planning to release Dostana?
Kanti Raaj: Believe it or not, our entire shooting is wrapping up and we are gearing up for a March 5 release via paid previews on:
http://groups.google.com/group/trollywood
I will personally pay for my entire cast to view the film as they should not have to wait to watch their own film! The free general release of the film will be within weeks of the paid preview release. I hope each one of you will show me the same support as you did for RACE.
