/> Not too many people know this. But Bipasha Basu is a huge fan of Pakistani singer Atif Aslam. And she's willing to put her career where his mouth is.

For Race Bipasha really wanted Atif for a song.

Just back from Kolkata after completing the shooting of her first Bengali film, Rituparno Ghosh's Sab Charitra Kalpunik, Bipasha swoons at the mention of her favourite singer.

"I've been a diehard fan of Atif from the time he sang Tere bin and Doori. I wish he's sing for me some day. I listen to his new album on my car all the time. So when I heard about the track Jaan-e-Jana in Race I knew only Atif could do it."

In fact Bipasha not only recommended Atif for the song she also urged the film's producers to go for her favourite voice.

"And why not? Atif is an artiste signed on with Tips who're the producers of Race. So this was my golden chance to get Atif into one of my films. And now Jaan-e-jana is my favourite song in Race."

Mention of the crackling chemistry with Saif in Race brings a smile to Bipasha's voice. "It's a thriller...a slick sensuous thriller. And my chemistry not only with Saif but also with Akshaye Khanna has to be special.

I was working with both Saif and Akshaye for the first time. They're both really good actors," said Bipasha diplomatically on Sunday morning after dropping John at the airport for his trip to Malaysia.

"It's been a really hectic time for me. We worked on Ritu's film on a very tight schedule. I loved my role and the chance to speak in my mother tongue for the first time.

I also shot in Shatiniketan which was something I really looked forward to. Unfortunately I was there for barely two days. And it rained all the time. I reached late in the night,shot the whole day and returned to Kolkata."

She has much to look forward to in 2008. "Besides Ritu's film which gives me a completely new image, there's the other Bengali director Shudipto Chattopadhyay's Pankh.

Now that's a very disturbing film about a child actor who grows up thinking he's a girl. I play his muse. I play myself. It's a very different film. Then of course there's Race with Abbas-Mustan who are among my favourites."

Bipasha started her career with Abbas-Mustan and hopes to do more work with them.

"In fact I've an incomplete film Mr Fraud with them. There, I do full-on comedy with Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan and Anuuj Sawhney.

It's at the moment stalled. But I'm ready to give the dates whenever Sanju and Ajay find the time. But they're so busy. So am I."