Will Ranbir Kapoor be willing to shoot in Pakistan? Or will Shahid Kapoor bite the bait? That's the question bothering The Reluctant Fundamental-ist director Mira Nair.

The director arrives in Mumbai next week to decide on the hero, depending on whom she can convince to shoot in Pakistan.

Past cast hiccups

Says a source, "Mira is no stranger to casting hiccups. For The Namesake, her first choices for the lead were Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee. But Rani didn't want to play Abhishek's mother. The roles finally went to Tabu and Kal Penn."

Historical grudge

Mira's first choice for the lead role in The Reluctant Fundamentalist was Ranbir Kapoor. Says the source, "RK was interested but the minute Pakistan was mentioned, his parents recoiled.

Rishi still remembers how hard his father, the late Raj Kapoor, tried to get permission to shoot in Pakistan for his Indo-Pak love story Henna but never got it in his lifetime.

His son Randhir later directed the film but even he couldn't shoot on location and had to make do simply with an actress belonging to that country."

I'm available

Continues the source, "Shahid is busy with his father's Mausam but is keen to meet Mira and work out the details. Going to Pakistan is not such a problem for him. Even though his parents would object, he can convince them."

The twist comes with Ranbir showing a renewed interest in the Mira Nair flick, in keeping with his policy of avoiding run-of-the-mill themes and stories.

The director confirms from New York that she's flying down to meet the two, "I am in discussions with both Ranbir and Shahid. But all decisions can be taken only when I meet them in person next week."