"I was offered the lead role in Pooja Bhatt's Cabaret -- a film she was planning on a bar girl's life. There were numerous auditions and screen tests for the film and finally, I was selected. The entire process took more than six months. Finally, Pooja asked me to sign a contract, which would prohibit me from doing other films simultaneously.

"I refused to sign, so Pooja asked me to carry on with my plans and told me she would get back to me. I learnt later that Mallika Sherawat had been signed for the role. I respect Pooja immensely as a filmmaker, but since I had come so close to her during the screen tests, I had expected at least a phone call from her."

But Koena has no regrets about Cabaret. "The shooting has not even started yet, Musafir has released and now, I am awaiting the release of my second film, Insan on January 14."