/> Apoorva Lakhia's Shoot-out At Lokhandwala went through several vital changes right till the moment when the shooting began.

At the last minute Arati Chabaria joined the vast cast in the role for which the producer had originally penciled in his niece Neha Uberoi.

Explains the director Lakhia, "That's because Neha's dates for Hansal Mehta's Woodstock Villa which launched Neha and Sikandar Berry were clashing with my film. Since Woodstock is entirely her launch- vehicle it was thought it would be better if she concentrated on that."

But the big surprise is the last-minute inclusion of Dia Mirza in the pivotal role of an investigative journalist. It's a role based on true-life journalist Minty Tejpal who covered the shoot-out in Mumbai in 1992.

Apoorva Lakhia earlier thought of Priyanka Chopra and Bipasha Basu for the role. "We turned the real-life male correspondent into a female character. Shoot-out was turning into a stag party with so many male actors in it. We needed feminine glamour."

Interestingly Dia shared a warm friendship with Lakhia in the past. When things went wrong between them she opted out of Lakhia's Ek Ajnabee. Her role was done by Perizaad Zorabian.

Lakhia sees no awkwardness in directing a former friend. "My producer and I mutually decided on Dia. There was absolutely no awkwardness between us. Why should there be? We're both professionals. And we're here to work, not to rake up the past.

Also, Dia features only in large crowds of characters, just like everyone else in the cast. So no one needs to get into a one-on-one situation on location."