Photo: Imran Khan

The wacky-cheeky duo will be missed, though. While Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor are smart kids, they are also sweet boys, very earnest and fair. And that does not entertaining hosting make. But better earnest, than rude.

At least there will be no embarrassing fireworks, like the ones we saw at the 2009 Screen awards, with Ashutosh Gowarikar flaying Sajid Khan publicly, and Farah Khan jumping into the melee with both feet, arms flailing. Not nice.

Ranbir Kapoor photo

Reports say Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor are finetuning a comic script and rehearsing it.

The 26-year-old Imran Khan debuted in 2008 with Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, which was a blockbuster. Khan was much appreciated for his acting talent and his good looks. Imran’s next release was Kidnap, which was not a hit, but Imran Khan did receive some positive reviews. Imran Khan will be next seen in Luck and Delhi Belly, both of which will release in 2009.

Photo: Shahrukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan hosting the 2008 Filmfare Awards

Ranbir Kapoor’s debut movie was the disastrous Saawariya, though he won the 2008 Filmfare award for the Best Debut Male. Ranbir Kapoor last flick Bachna Ae Haseeno was a huge hit. Ranbir Kapoor’s forthcoming releases in 2009 are Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani, Wake Up Sid, and Rajniti.

Minissha Lamba bikini picture from Kidnap

a) Good girl Minissha Lamba, who has earlier shown no inclination to show skin, is going to wear a bikini in Kidnap and prance underwater.

Minissha Lamba says she worked very hard to make her body bikini fit, and is looking forward to play a glamorous role, which is rather refreshing, considering most actresses wouldn’t be caught dead saying they want to look glam. They all want to look like an ‘actor.’

When Minissha Lamba was approached the role and told about the bikini scenes, she said that at that point, she was hardly fit. She demanded, and got, time to get trim and toned enough to get proudly in a bikini.

The few bikini photos of Kidnap, already available on the Net are a big hit with Minissha Lamba fans.

But then Minissha Lamba does have some acting credentials to start with. She did a fab job in Yahaan, her debut flick, which bombed at the box office but won her considerable acclaim.

b) Good boy Imran Khan is going to play a out-and-out mean guy – at least I hope he is and the film-maker does not give us a sob story about a turned good guy, at then end of the film, which lets face it, happens to most “negative roles” in Hindi films.

Kidnap is Imran Khan’s second film, after the smash hit Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, where Imran plays a sweet young man, earnest and strong minded. Imran’s career trajectory looks uncannily like that of his famous uncle superstar Aamir Khan. Aamir’s first movie was Qayamat Se Qayamak Tak, a tale of starcrossed lovers.

Imran Khan in a still from the movie Kidnap

Aamir’s second flick, the little-known Raakh (1989) had Aamir play a very grim role – that of a vigilante set on avenging the rape of his girlfriend. Raakh, unsurprisingly – it was dark, gritty, had no songs, and minimal dialogue – tanked at the box office.

Minissha Lamba in a still from Kidnap

Will Imran Khan bite the dust too with Kidnap? Chances are he won’t, which has nothing to do with his unquestionable acting talent, but more to do with the box office drawing power of Dhoom director Sanjay Gadhvi. Dhoom 1 and 2 have been mega hits despite a terrible screenplay and the lack of a plot.

Minissha Lamba in Kidnap

What Sanjay Gadhvi can do and do it well is, well, gloss and tons of it.

So you can expect bare tanned chests – which is not a hardship if the chest belongs to Hrithik or Akshay Kumar, or even SRK, and even less of a hardship when it comes to mystery chests like that of Imran Khan.

Minissha Lamba in a still from Kidnap

And you can expect bikinis, long legs on surfboards, sparkling locations, hunky bikes, mean machines, and adventure sports somehow weaved into a plot (since there is no plot, one can safely say, crammed into what passes for a  plot.)

But then as long as I get to see Imran Khan’s chest debut, I don’t care!