A "Positive" story and some news

In New Post India, Farhan Akhtar talks about directing his stepmother Shabana Azmi in the short film Positive, part of Mira Nair's AIDS JaaGo project discussed here. He said that despite their personal relationship, he knew she wouldn't compromise her standards to do him any favors: "I knew if I went to her with something she didn't approve of, she'd tell me to buzz off, regardless of our relationship. I didn't want her to be in that position where she might have to say no."

In other news, a British showbiz outlet called The First Post reports that Mahesh Bhatt has chosen Shabana ji to play the lead in his Benazir Bhutto bio-pic. I'm a little surprised to see this news coming out of Britian before India, so I'll remain skeptical until I see quotes from Shabana ji confirming it. The First Post also has Hollywood throwing a hat into the Bhutto bio-pic ring, in a project to be directed by Robert Redford.