No heroes until 2010

Mon, Jul 7 01:00 AM

Harman, Imran, Ranbir, Neil .

a fresh pool of young sexy heroes seems like a dream come true for filmmakers who battle to get hitmakers like Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik and Salman to sign up because of other commitments.

But, their joy is short-lived as Bollywood's young brigade - be it chocolate faced Imran Khan, tippy-toed Harman Baweja, towel-wrapped Ranbir Kapoor, or intense Neil Nitin Mukesh - all have big banners lined up already. And, even these guys are taken till 2010.

Harman has been signed on by the industry's biggest names. "There is Manmohan Shetty's Victory, which is a cricket-based film that will have 40 cricketers making an appearance," says Harman.

"Then there's Ashutosh Gowarikar's What's Your Rashi, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Chenab Gandhi." So, he's booked for a while? "I have never looked at it this way" Prod him again, and he smiles, "Yeah.

till 2010." Imran Khan says, "I will be playing a toughie in Sanjay Gadhvi's Kidnap, it'll be a pleasant change.

" Following that he'll be seen in Soham Shah's (Karan Johar's assistant) Luck. Come August 15, and Ranbir Kapoor will be seen romancing three girls in Yash Raj Films' Bachna Ae Haseeno.

Besides two more romantic films - Raj Kumar Santoshi's Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani opposite Katrina Kaif and another under the Yash Raj banner - the heir to the Kapoor khandan will be also be seen in an intense role in Prakash Jha's Rajniti. Says Santoshi, "Ranbir has that typical Kapoor innocence and charm and he is so hugely talented that there's much to be explored.

" Neil was signed up immediately after Johnny Gaddar released by Sudhir Mishra for Tera Kya Hoga Johnny and already has an enviable lineup - Kabir Khan's next film for Yash Raj Films, Madhur Bhandarkar's Jail, as well as Eros' romantic-thriller Freeze. Says Bhandarkar, "Jail will be my first male oriented film.

As I conceived the script, Neil fitted the character to the hilt." With close to Rs 150 crore riding on these films what remains to be seen is how those well-sculpted shoulders carry this weight!.

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