by Subhash K Jha

Pooja Bedi's comeback plan seems to have been aborted. The erstwhile actress and current tv anchor shot for Apoorva Lakhia's Ek Ajnabee.

However she won't be seen in the film the film finally.

Explains Apoorva, "All of us—Sanjay Dutt, producer Bunty Wallia and I-- are from the Sanawar school in Simla. I wanted all us Sanawar-ians from the film industry to be somehow associated with the film. That's why we wanted Pooja Bedi who is from the same school to do a small cameo. However in the final edit her role hasn't worked out. It's sad. But what to do?"

Adds producer Bunty Wallia, "All of us from the same school wanted to be part of Ek Ajnabee. Pooja had a very small part to begin with. She was playing a news reporter filling in all the details on tv in Bangkok about the happenings in the plot. In the final edit we had to cut her out. I know Pooja will be mad. But we had no choice."

Pooja who played the leading lady in Jagmoham Mundhra's Vishkanya opposite Manoj Kumar's son Kunal Goswami in 1991, is best know for her appearance as the college bombshell in Mansoor Ali Khan's Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.

After marriage and separation from her husband she has been dabbling on the television medium.

However a movie comeback for now appears a distant dream.