LONDON, 21 November 2004 — It seemed to be the most delicious cultural swap of the decade! Spice girl Emma ‘Baby’ Bunton swapped places with India’s favorite star Sameera Reddy.
“It’s not for a film, it’s for real!” confirms Sameera, who has just shot for her first Bengali film, directed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta, in Calcutta.
Last week, Emma sneaked into Bombay and did everything Sameera does, including shoot for a Hindi film. Tentatively titled Pal Tham Gaya, the film stars Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia and is produced by Percept Pictures.
So how was this exchange planned? “They wanted a chirpy Bollywood actress with a metropolitan image, who could bring a feel of Bollywood to England, live Emma’s life, shop where she does and make a guest appearance in the hit series, Casualty,” Sameera explains.
The actress took a personal interest in Emma’s Bombay trip. “I sat with the BBC and planned her visit. I wanted her to live those days exactly the way I do. I got her dressed in clothes designed by Rocky S and had her sent to a film set.”
“She was in a state of shock! She has planned a surprise for me in London too. I’ve an inkling that she has arranged a shopping spree for me,” she says.