Asin stumbles on The 19th Step

Kamal Hassan has apparently pulled out of the big-budget Walt Disney production. Asin Thottumkal"s prestigious Indo-Japanese project The 19th Step is apparently shelved, leaving the comely actress with tons of time that she had set aside not only to learn and practice the ancient art of Kalaripayattu but also to shoot for the film in Japan and Kerala.

According to sources, the project has fallen through for no fault of Asin"s. Says the source, “The film"s producers Walt Disney and leading man Kamal Hassan have had a serious disagreement. He isn"t doing the film. And if Kamal Hassan isn"t doing the film, neither is Asin. She agreed to do a Tamil film at this juncture when her Hindi career has taken off, only because of Kamal Hassan whom Asin respects a lot."

At the time of writing the story, The 19th Step seems as good as shelved. And Asin, inundated with offers is work-less. Unless, she quickly accepts another project to fill her now empty date diary.

Says a source close to the actress, “Asin is upset with the way the whole Indo-Japanese project was managed. After Vipul Shah"s London Dreams she said no to everything in Mumbai including Priyadarshan"s Dan Dana Dhan and Farhan Akhtar"s Kartik Calling Kartik for The 19th Step with Kamal Hassan, whom she respects immensely has requested her to."

Incidentally the number of projects with A R Rahman"s music to be shelved or cancelled has just gone a 'step" ahead with The 19th Step. Mani Ratnam"s Lajjo and Kamal Hassan"s Marmyogi were also shelved recently. And earlier Bharat Bala who was to direct The 19th Step was supposed to do Taj Mahal with Aishwarya Bachchan as Mumtaz Mahal with Rahman"s music.

Sadly, that too got shelved.