By Subhash K Jha

What would’ve been a routine birthday bash for Sameera Reddy on Sunday night turned out to be a very special occasion when Priyadarshan who has just given the actress her first hit since “Race’ in “De Dana Dan’ turned around and said, “You’re in my next film!”

Sameera who has become very close to Priyan and his wife Lizzie and in fact spends all her free time during her frequent visits to Chennai in their house is still reeling in pleasure.

“I couldn’t have got a better birthday gift. Firstly it turned out to be Priyan and Lizzie’s marriage anniversary. So we had my birthday and their anniversary party at Shristi Behl’s residence. All three of us Lizzie, Priyan and I cut a cake.”

The icing on the cake was Priyan’s impulsive offer. “I don’t need to ask him what it is or in which film. I trust him completely. He gave me a role in “De Dana Dan’ that did justice to my presence. This was at a time when I was desperately trying to shed my sexy image.”

Not many people know this. But Sameera has a secret special appearance in the Bihar-based film that Priyan is shooting with Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna and Bipasha Basu.

“How do you know about this?” Sameera demands to know. “So that makes it three films with Priyan. I’m really lucky to have Priyan and his wife as friends. Now when I go to Chennai, which is like a second home to me thanks to the work that I do. In fact my latest Tamil hit was mixed in Priyan’s studio in Chennai, so the bond thickens.”

Her prestigious film Nagesh Kukunoor’s “Yeh Hausla’ remains stuck.

Says Sameera softly, “That’s because the producers Percept have bungled. They’re in a real financial mess. They owe almost everyone associated with them quite a lot of money.”

Sameera herself remains solitary in Mumbai. “My sister Meghna is now married to a Greek and settled on the most exotic Greek island. My brother-in-law spoils me silly. They both love me because I convinced our conservative dad about the unlikely marital alliance.”

Especially after her sister’s marriage, Sameera really misses a man in her life. “It gets really lonely. And I know I’m looking my best these days. Thanks to yoga I’ve lost oodles of flesh. But what’s the point of looking good when you’ve no one to admire you?”

Age may be just a number. But in Bollywood Sameera knows her time is numbered. “At the party at Shristi Behl’s I just kept staring at Twinkle Khanna. She was glowing. She just keeps getting better with the years. I hope I look as radiant when I reach that age.”

-Sampurn Media