If Dil Chahta Hai made people pick up their bags and head to Goa, then Ali Zafar's latest film has made the Pakistani actor contemplate owning a piece of it. While shooting for David Dhawan's Chashme Baddoor, Ali fell in love with the place and is now planning to invest in a beach shack.
The Lahore-based artiste who spends a lot of time in the country visited the state for the first time during the making of the film. He immersed himself in the relatively stress-free atmosphere. `The amount of time he spent over there was like a mini-vacation for him as well as the entire cast, though it's too early to disclose details as talks are still on, ` says a person familiar with the situation.
However, the fact that 32-year-old actor-musician is a Pakistani national could play a spoiler to his plans. `There are some legal constraints attached but the idea is to stick to the law of the land and go about it accordingly, ` concludes our source.
If the proposed shack eventually comes up in Goa, we won't be surprised to find Ali with his guitar relaxing and crooning away to glory!
Legal speak
According to Vinod Sampat, lawyer and expert on property matters, there are several aspects that could work against someone who isn't an Indian. He says, `As far as Goa is concerned, the state has property laws of its own which basically favours the original inhabitants. And for a person who is in the country on work permit, he'll also be requiring permissions from the Reserve Bank of India.`