by Subhash K Jha

The monster multi-starrer Salaam-e-Ishq with its criss-cross of stars from Govinda, Salman Khan, John Abraham and Anil Kapoor to Priyanka Chopra, Juhi Chawla, Vidya Balan and Ayesha Takia, could've broken an average director's back.

But Nikhil Advani seems to be made of sterner stuff. He is enjoying every bit if it. Even the notoriously undisciplined Govinda seems to be giving Nikhil a splendid time.

"Govinda is like a dream," Nikhil raves. "He's on the sets on the dot and embarrassingly apologetic if he's a few minutes late."

In fact the second-time director was petrified about how to handle the vast cast. "But it's like cakewalk. No actor has given me any grief. I've already finished shooting my portions with Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla, also a part of the shooting required with Salman-Priyanka and Akshaye Khanna-Ayesha Takia...

To watch these actors before the camera is an amazing experience. I'm like a child in a candy store greedily wanting more and more. And you know what? These guys are more than willing to deliver."

Says Nikhil, "We shoot in London, Australia and Sri Lanka. After that I'm done. I've been shooting all over North India and with Govinda and his South African co-star Shanon."

Considering how averse audiences are to cross-cultural romances, isn't Nikhil worried about how they'll take to the desi babu Govinda's affair with gori mem Shanon? "It can't be avoided. It's an important track in my plot. I can only hope it works. I'm most certainly working hard to cover all my bases."

While Nikhil has his fingers crossed, his film is bound to get affected by Salman's hair loss, no? "Not at all!" the unfazed director comments.

"Fortunately for me, my dates with Salman and his co-star Priyanka were already slotted for foreign locations later during the year. So far I've shot in Jaipur, Agra, Rishikesh, Delhi and Hyderabad...I never expected everything to go so smoothly for me."