Punit bringing Imran-Sonam together again

Punit Malhotra who's just helmed a hit for Karan Johar's Dharma Productions is hoping someone would notice him and cast him as a leading man next.

"I won't cast myself in my next directorial project. I can't direct and act together. But I'd like to act in a film next. An actor is what I came here to be," says Punit. Would he be willing to be cast in a film written by Shobha De? Punit passes. "I'd get spanked on the sets every day."

But before that, Punit is off on a holiday.

Is the I Hate Luv Storys (IHLS) director joining his leading Sonam Kapoor in Edinburgh where she is shooting for Mausam? The buzz about the director seeing his leading lady just got stronger with people close to the two whispering that after the film's success, the film's director is off to spend quality time with her in Edinburgh.

Though Punit, euphoric with the success of IHLS, admits he's off on a holiday, he completely denies he is love-bound.

"I am not going to Scotland. I am going to the US for my holiday. I've lots of friends there, I want to catch up with before I begin to plan my next film. If you want, I can send you pictures of me posing at the Statue of Liberty," he offers.

Apparently, the success party has also been put off until Punit returns from his holiday. The fact that Sonam too will be back home in a month is just a coincidence. Once Punit returns, he will start work on his next film. "It won't be a rom-com," he promises. But yes it will star his pals Imran Khan and Sonam again.

And if you thought the young filmmaker would be embarrassed and apologetic about his run-in with columnist -writer Shobha De who threatened to spank him after watching IHLS, you are quite wrong.

In fact Punit says he removed his shrivelling retort to Shobha's comment only because his mother asked him to. "My mother gave me hell about my remark on Shobha De. She wanted to know how I could talk someone my mother's age that way. Of course I wouldn't say such a thing to anyone! I've been brought up to respect my seniors. But if you are going to talk about spanking a 28-year old, you better be prepared to face the music."

Punit says he has no problems with the bad reviews for his film. "It's a free country. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. And I respect everyone's opinion. But you can't spank me if you didn't like my film. We aren't living in the Taliban. No, I am not at all apologetic about what I said."