Bollywood films still don't make the cut at big international film awards. But that is hardly a block for our desi actors and actresses from bagging fleshy roles in foreign films.

First Mallika Sherawat got Unveiled, then Akshay Kumar was offered Australian Bandstand and now Salman Khan's Marigold is ready for release.

Buzz is that Akshay will soon share the screen with Mexican beauty Salma Hayek in a joint production of Hollywood Studios International and India's Carving Dreams Entertainment.

The Big B was recently offered an important role in Ridley Scott's thriller Body Of Lies but Bacchhan reportedly refused because he felt he would hardly be noticed alongside Hollywood biggies Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. Curiously enough, he has agreed to play a kind-hearted Mumbai gangster in Mira Nair's forthcoming film Shantaram, with Johnny Depp in the lead.

After winning reality show Big Brother, Shipa Shetty is also all set to play Sita, opposite Keanu Reeves as Ram, in Los-Angeles based producer Uru Patel's ambitious project Hanuman. Indian actor Aseem Merchant will play Laxman.

Satish Kaushik has also landed the lead role in British film Seven Seas. The Bollywood actor-director finds it a big achievement as "our actors usually don't get to play the lead in an international film".

Veteran Naseeruddin Shah's Shoot on Sight revolves around the July 7, 2005, bombings in London, and is on the floors.

How we wish the trend also worked the other way round, roping in Hollywood biggies for our masala movies.