This is the second time that Manisha will work with Bhansali, after the 1996 Khamoshi – The Musical, that was the director’s debut movie. Khamoshi, one of my personal favorites, flopped at the box office.

My Friend Pinto, that will go on the floors in end-2009 or early 2010, is set for a 2011 release. The movie will be directed by Raghav Dar, assistant director of Guru and associate director of Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na.

Dar will also script the movie along with Arun Sukumar.

Manisha Koirala was last seen in the absolutely dated Mehbooba – the movie is said to have been in the cans for eight years – in 2008.

Photo: Manisha Koirala

The extremely talented actress has acted in flop after flop in the past 10 years, with the exception of the 2002 Company. Her only other hits have been her first Hindi film, Saudagar (1991), 1942: A Love Story (1994), Bombay (1995), and Dil Se (1998).

Some recent reports say that Manisha Koirala, who hails from the premier political Koirala family in Nepal, is considering joining politics. The actress is reported to have said that she will split her time between Kathmandu and Los Angeles.

Sanjay Leela  Bhansali is currently working on the Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai starrer Guzarish, that will be released in 2010, and Chenab Gandhi, starring Amitabh Bachchan, John Abraham and Vidya Balan.

Photo: Prateik Babbar at the Lakme Fashion Week

My Friend Pinto will be directed by Raghav Dar, who was the assistant director of Guru and associate director of Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na.

The story of My Friend Pinto will be penned by Raghav Dar and Arun Sukumar.

Raghav Dar is also the writer of the upcoming Lamha, that will be released sometime in 2009. The movie stars Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, and Anupam Kher.

My Friend Pinto will be released in 2011.

Sanjay Leela  Bhansali’s next is Guzarish, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai. The movie will be released in 2010.

Bhansali is also working on Chenab Gandhi, starring Amitabh Bachchan, John Abraham and Vidya Balan.

Prateik Babbar was last seen in a cameo role in the 2008 hit, Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na. His performance drew gushing reviews, which is a bit surprising considering his performance, while good, was hardly earth-shattering.

I don’t know how much of it was because Prateik is Smita Patil’s son, a wonderful actress who passed away when he was born. Maybe I am being unkind here, but in India, any public figure who dies, gets practically canonized, and his offspring is honorarily adopted by the whole country.

Of course, it doesn’t take away from the fact that Prateik Babbar definitely has screen presence but he has a long way to go.

He will be next seen in Kiran Rao’s Dhobi Ghat with Aamir Khan.