With
the
unexpected
success
of
the
political
satire
Tere
Bin
Laden,
plans
are
afoot
to
create
an
ongoing
series
of
films
featuring
the
Laden
look-alike
played
by
Pradhuman
Singh.
The
success
of
the
desi
Laden
has
taken
the
film's
makers
by
surprise.
Director
Abhishek
Sharma
admits
creating
a
franchise
out
of
the
Laden
character
is
an
idea
being
serious
explored
specially
since
the
humour
on
Laden
has
been
taken
in
the
right
spirit.
Singh
who
has
been
in-character
playing
Laden
even
off
-screen
is
a
bit
more
cautious
in
his
enthusiasm
to
reprise
the
role.
"It
would
depend
entirely
on
the
writing.
Abhishek
Sharma
who's
almost
like
a
childhood
buddy-I
know
him
since
I
was
17-
worked
hard
to
bring
the
idea
of
a
poor
Laden
look-alike
who
creates
a
global
stir,
come
alive.
Now
to
carry
the
idea
forward
without
seeming
to
simply
cash
in
on
a
successful
formula,
we
need
a
script
that
is
as
funny
if
not
funnier."
Pradhuman
who
acted
at
the
age
of
20
when
he
was
in
the
National
School
Of
Drama
gave
up
acting
entirely
and
has
now
returned
to
acting
with
a
role
he
never
though
he
could
pull
off.
"When
Abhishek
suggested
I
play
a
character
that's
mistaken
for
Laden,
I
was
zapped.
I
had
never
even
remotely
thought
I
resembled
Laden.
But
now
that
the
character
has
been
liked
I
don't
mind
playing
him
again."
Another
Laden
in-blunder
land
saga
is
on
the
anvil.
And
this
character
may
become
Hindi
cinema's
first
formal
farcical
franchise
in
the
tradition
of
Larry
Charles'
Borat
played
by
Sacha
Baron
Cohen.
Says
Pradhuman,
"I've
gotten
so
used
to
being
dressed
as
Laden/Noora,
I
had
almost
forgotten
what
I
really
look
like.
I'd
wake
up
in
the
morning
without
makeup
and
wonder
who
the
stranger
in
the
mirror
was.
We
got
a
really
good
makeup
person,
Vikram
Gaekwad,
to
do
my
'Osama'
makeup."
The
makeover
was
so
complete
and
convincing
even
Pradhuman's
girlfriend
(a
law
student)
was
fooled.
"But
in
spite
of
being
constantly
dressed
as
Osama,
I
suffer
from
'no
identity'
crisis.
As
a
trained
actor
from
the
NSD,
I
can
get
in
and
out
of
character
without
missing
a
beat," says
Pradhuman
who
now
heads
home
to
Delhi
to
celebrate
the
success
of
Tere
Bin
Laden
with
his
family.
Then
he
returns
to
Bollywood
to
start
from
scratch.
"I've
to
convince
filmmakers
that
the
person
I
played
in
Tere
Bin
Laden
looks
very
different
from
me."
Story first published: Monday, July 26, 2010, 17:22 [IST]