By Subhash K Jha

Simi Garewal is off to Hong Kong to interview Jackie Chan. It would be the Hong Kong star's first talk-show appearance with an Indian host.

"But I've repeatedly gone and got international guests on their home turf," laughs Simi who has conducted interviews abroad with Rupert Murdoch, Imran Khan and most recently steel-tycoon Laksmi Mittal on her popular show Rendezvous With Simi Garewal.

Simi is looking forward to interviewing Jackie. "He's extremely popular in India. Our endeavour on Rendezvous is to always bring on guests who are a popular enigma in this part of the world. What's the point of talking to people who have come on every channel and have said everything about themselves?

For this season of Rendezvous I've lined up Esha & her sister Aahana Deol, Aishwarya Rai, Lara Dutt and of course Jackie Chan. Salman Khan will be my last guest this season."

With a film directed by Revathy on the anvil Simi is poised for a large-screen comeback. Her good friend Anil Kapoor (who has been on Rendezvous with his wife for a rare together tete-a-tete) has asked Simi to do a guest appearance in Anil's home-production Welcome directed by Anees Bazmi.

"I'm thinking seriously about it. He's not just a dear friend and also a very funny man. Anil has me in splits. I can't say no to friends like Anil who aren't just interviewees for me. Anil-Sunita, Suniel-Mana, Hrithik-Suzanne, Shah Rukh-Gauri ...these are couples I've known closely for years. They came on Rendezvous because they trusted me."

Any couple that has been hard to get? "Boney Kapoor and Sridevi," says Simi promptly. "Boney has been promising to bring his wife on my show for years. Maybe one of these days he'll actually keep his word."