/> In the recently-released global smasher 21 a mathematics professor, played by Kevin Spacey trains four of his brightest students at the game of blackjack and sends them off to Las Vegas for high-stake gambling every weekend.

In the talented Leena Yadav's second directorial undertaking Teen Patti Amitabh Bachchan plays a professor who tutors five of his brightest protégées, played by Madhavan (earlier it was Arshad Warsi) and the debutantes Siddharth Kher, Druv Ganesh, Vaibhav Talwar and Shraddha Kpoor in the art of teen patti for high-stake gambling with a cause.

Members of the cast including the Big B are currently brushing up their mastery with the intricate card game that forms the plot's core.

Direector Leena Yadav wants it as authentic as possible. But how real are the startling similarities between 21 and Teen Patt?

"I don't deny the two films sound similar although I haven't seen 21.My script was written long before 21 was released. So there's no question of me being inspired by the film."

However ...and here comes the catch....both 21 and Teen Patti are inspired by the same real-life incident involving a seriously-trained group of blackjack players chosen from the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology and other prominent institutes of the US who were picked up and trained. Known as the MIT Blackjack Team the cardplayers remained operative for decades and were the subject of a bestselling book Bringing Down The House by Ben Mzerich.

Leena Yadav admits her film is inspired by the daredevilry of the MIT Blackjack Team. "But we obviously made many changes. For one, we couldn't have the game of blackjack.

No one in India understands blackjack. Also the motivations had to change. But yes, like 21 and many other contemporary films Teen Patti is a study of materialism, greed and acquisitiveness in our times."

The film is to be shot in Boston in August –September after some hiccups and delays including departure of Arshad Warsi from the project.

" The delay was unfortunate. But my producer Ambika Hinduja and I were very clear that Mr Bachchan was the film's fulcrum. Everyone's dates had to be adjusted according to his convenience. Now people will draw comparisons between Teen Patti and 21. But my film has nothing to do with blackjack."

Is Leena proficient at cards? "I can play. But not too well. In our country women play cards mainly in those idle-rich circles that form kitty parties and during Diwali as shagun. We don't have professional female card players. Imagine a woman making film on card players!"