A Kapoor-Kapur face-off!

Arrey Bhai, main Mumbai mein kuch bhi kar sakta hoon. Lekin meri bahen ke liye koi ladka nahi dhoond sakta [I can do anything in Mumbai, but no one can find a suitable guy for my sister]," grumbles Anil Kapoor to Shahid Kapur.

The occasion is Deewane Huye Paagal's mahurat at Mumbai's J W Marriott Hotel.

Deewane Huye Paagal is rumoured to be a loose remake of the Hugh Grant starrer Mickey Blue Eyes. But producer Firoz Nadiadwala and director Ahmed Khan don't think so.

The film stars Shahid Kapur as a fun-loving mechanic in love with a girl whose elder brother (played by Anil Kapoor) is a mobster. When he falls in love with the girl, he is unaware of the latter's underworld status.

The casting of Shahid's love interest is yet to be finalised.

Rajpal Yadav too has an important role in the film.

Choreographer turned director Ahmed Khan was one of the child artistes who had worked with Anil Kapoor in Shekhar Kapur's Mr India.

"I remember Ahmed had come with his mother for the audition of that film," Kapoor said. "He was a good dancer as a child. We immediately selected him. I was there at the audition. He impressed me very much.

"Eighteen years down the line, I can't believe that the boy whom I selected for audition has become a director and will now direct me! Time has just flown so fast, it is unbelievable."

The hot sensation of Ishq Vishk is all praise for his senior co-star. "Anil Kapoor has completed 20 years in the film industry," Shahid said. "I will feel fortunate if I can complete even one-fourth of his career in films. There is a lot of things that I need to learn from him."

Reportage: Syed Firdaus Ashraf
Photograph: Sebastian D'Souza/AFP/Getty Images