MALIKA AND HER AGENDAS

The shooting of Pritish Nandy Communications Ugly Aur Pagli is getting uglier and 'paglier' than the enterprising producer had bargained for, what with the leading man Ranvir Shorey, known to be headstrong and adamant when the occasion demands, refusing to surrender to anyone's ego.

Last week Mallika stormed out of the wacky film's sets when Ranvir Shorey arrived hours late for the shooting.

Honest to the core, Ranvir doesn't deny the incident. "Yes,we did have a spat last week. We keep having differences of opinion and then keep making up. But this one was more serious. I wasn't well at all.

I had a viral fever. I popped some pills and came for the shoot. But I was about three hours late. Mallika left in a huff. So I had to shoot solo scenes that day.

I got a lot of flak from the entire unit except Mr Pritish Nandy who sent me a very supportive and eloquent sms. It really cheered me up because I was feeling hugely shitty about what happened. Mr Nandy suggested I make up with Mallika because she had walked out of the sets."

Getting more into the Mallika mode Ranvir says, "I've worked with her earlier for Pritish Nandy's Pyar Ke Side Effects.

To be honest, this is the first experience I've had of a temperamental actress. Not that I hold it against or her, because Mallika becomes your chum while she's working with you. Mallika works as a team when she's on camera.

Yeah, she's pagli and and I'm ugly and I keep joking that we could reverse roles. But I've never worked with a moody diva before, not even the mythic Madhuri Dixit was very down to earth in Aaja Nachle."

With his newly-discovered niche-stardom Ranvir better get used to moody actresses. "I'd rather not. I'm having a tough time dealing with one of those," he jokes.