Hema Malini's role has been scrapped from Milan Luthria's film, Hat Trick

Hema Malini who was supposed to be part of Milan Luthria's forthcoming film Hat Trick, opposite Naseeruddin Shah will not be part of the film after all.

The decision was taken by Luthria when he developed the script and realised that the role fell short of the actress' calibre.

"When the final script was complete, I realised that the character was not an integral part of the story. We wanted to develop the character more and give it a proper shape. When the scriptwriter and I discussed the issue we decided to edit the entire character from the film," says Luthria.

When he informed Hema about the development, the actress did not seem to mind. "She appreciated the fact that I didn't waste her valuable time and came clear on what the film demands," he says.

But doesn't it reflect badly on him to sign and then drop an actress like Hema Malini from his project? "I object to the term 'drop' when it comes to Hemaji. She is far too big to be dropped from any project. When you sign Hemaji, people expect to see more of her on screen. I didn't want to waste her. I spoke to her at length about the problem and she understood my situation. Moreover, we had not announced Hemaji presence in the film formally," says Milan.




As far as working with Hema Malini again is concerned, he says, "I will be working with her in a project which will revolve around her. She deserves the best."

Meanwhile, Milan will start shooting for the film from October-end in Mumbai and then will finish the film in London and West Indies. Luthria is also concerned that people are speculating that Hat Trick is a film about cricket. "It's not," he retorts. "The film is a comedy with an emotional climax. It revolves around Naseeruddin, Paresh Rawal and Kunal Kapoor," he says. The film will be released in February 2007.

source:mumbaimirror