/> Deepa Mehta sneaked into Mumbai for just one day for a series of press conferences promoting Water which finally releases in India on 9 March. But she found time to meet up with the Big B at his office Janak to ink a deal.

Yes, Deepa and the Big B are working together!

It looks like Mr Bachchan's earlier stance on the redundancy of an international career is going for a toss. Whether he wants it or not, international filmmakers are ready to take his awesome stardom to the West in a big way.

After Mira Nair who signed him for her Hollywood opus Shantaram, it's Deepa who has roped in the mighty Bachchan for Exclusion. Earlier entitled Kamagata Maru, this true-life tale of a ship that took a group of illegal Indians to the shores of Canada in the early part of the 19th century, will feature the Big B alongside John Abraham.

Says Deepa, "Mr Bachchan and I met in Toronto when he was there to promote Karan Johar's film ( Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna). I was there with Water. He was interested in Exclusion. Now we met again at his office on Friday and he has said yes. I'm too delighted for words. It's been a dream to direct him."