AMISHA Patels modern looks have come in the way of her career, it seems. The actress recently made it to the headlines after being roped in for Shah Rukh Khans home production Billo Barber, directed by Priyadarshan. However, her joyride came to a halt when the actress had no option but to opt out of the project. Reportedly, Amishas role was that of a village belle, and Priyadarshan wasnt happy with her modern looks. “ Priyadarshan felt that Amisha didnt have the looks to suit the village girl image. He talked to SRK about it and the actor gave him a free hand to look for a replacement,” said a source. Amisha reportedly had faced a similar problem when she was replaced by Gracy Singh in Aamir Khans production Lagaan. According to sources, Shah Rukh asked Priyadarshan to sign Juhi for the role and the director was happy with King Khans choice. Officially, Amisha has taken the line that she has opted out of the film because the role — that of a barbers wife — is minuscule. Billo Barber is a remake of Priyans last years Malayalam hit Kadha Parayumbol, starring Sreenivasan and Mammooty. Irrfan Khan plays Sreenivasans role, while SRK will take up Mammootys part. While Billo (Irrfan Khan) is a village barber, Shah Rukh plays a superstar. The buzz is strong that Shah Rukh will romance three girls — Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra — while Juhi Chawla will play Billos wife. Finding Irrfans leading lady in the film has been making news for some time now. Initially, Tabu was considered for the role but after she declined the offer, the part went to Amisha Patel. And now, even she has been replaced. Probably, thats why Amisha has stopped talking about her movies completely. Recently, when confronted with a query about Billo Barber in the Capital, Amisha said: “ I will not talk about my movies, sorry.” Over the past few years, Amisha has been at the receiving end, career- wise. Not long back, she complained about being relegated to the background in Priyadarshans Bhool Bhulaiya, with Vidya Balan walking away with all the accolades. In fact, the actress didnt even actively participate in the films promotion. Then, as reported by M AIL T ODAY earlier, her name was also missing from the official star cast list on the website of Kunal Kohlis next film for the Yash Raj banner, co-starring Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherji.

- Mail Today