Shiney Ahuja who has flown off to Dubai to join the cast and crew of Anees Bazmee's Welcome Back has found whole-hearted acceptance in the unit. Everyone except the film's leading lady Shruti Haasan has welcomed Shiney with enthusiasm

Shruti, we hear, keeps her distance. 

Says a source from Dubai, "Anees has made it very clear to Shruti that signing Shiney was his idea. And no one has the right to object. There is some friction between Anees and Shruti over this issue. But he has decided to stand his ground." 

Speaking from Dubai, Bazmee says, "Initially there was skepticism about Shiney's presence. But I was very clear about what I was doing. Whether Shiney is guilty or not of the crime he was accused of, we've no right to pass judgment on him. Let the law take its course." 

Anees is adamant about giving the actor work to do. "Shiney has every right to work. He has a wife, daughter and parents to support. His father broke down when he called me to thank me for giving Shiney work. No one from the film industry was willing to give him work, not even Shiney's so-called friends." 

Apparently, Anees has been receiving threats from elements both within and outside the film industry after the announcement of Shiney's presence in Welcome Back was made. Says the director, "I am not scared of anything. There are people who are unhappy that he is working in my film. Let them do what they like. Now that Shiney has shot with me I am even more convinced it was the right decision. He plays a rich spoilt man. This is the first time he will be seen in a comic avatar." 

Shiney plays Naseeruddin Shah's wayward son. They are both cast as gangsters. Naseer will apparently be shown reprimanding Shiney for his errant ways.

Amajor group song-and-dance sequence for Anees Bazmee's Welcome Back, scheduled to be shot this week,featuring Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Shruti Haasan, Nana Patekar and Dimple Kapadia had to be scrapped at the last minute, apparently because the track composed for the shooting was not ready.

Says a source, "Since the song is to be film on a bevy of A-listers composer Anu Malik, producer Feroz Nadiadwala and director Anees Bazmee wanted the song to be as perfect as it can get, on a par with the other blockbuster numbers like 'Mera Naseeb Mein' from Manmohan Desai's Naseeb and the title song of Amar Akbar Anthony, or Farah Khan's 'Deewangi Deewangi'in Om Shanti Om."

Like they say, aim big, and you have to slog accordingly. 

Says Anees, "We all felt we were not getting that kind of grandeur in the sound that would justify the presence of Anil, John, Nana, Dimple and Shruti in the same frame. So rather than shoot with an under-whelming song we decided to postpone the shooting of the number until March-end when we are sure to get the track that we want." 

Getting all the busy stars together again in March is easier said than danced. Anil has apparently expressed his inability to spare dates later. Efforts are on to somehow co-ordinate all the stars' dates in March-end or April. 

SighsAnees, "Luckily for us we have time. Feroz wants to release Welcome Back on Christmas day. So even if we shoot the song later during the year there will be no delay." 

In the meanwhile Anees leaves with his entire cast for a month-long schedule in Dubai from March 10. 

"We are all there, plus Naseeruddin Shah Saab who replaces Feroz Khan also joins us in Dubai this time." 

The last time Naseer, Anil and Nana got together in the same film was for Vinod Chopra's Parinda. And that wasn't such a happy occasion. 

Says Anil, "I've always gotten along well with both Nana and Naseer. They are moody. But I am not." 

Ab dekhna hai how well Naseer and Nana get along together this time.

Playing the dowdy cranky granny in her last film What The Fish has given Dimple wardrobe jitters.

Apparently, Dimple has roped in her old friends Abu-Sandeep to do all her clothes in her next film Welcome Back and is personally supervising her every sartorial move in the film. 

According to sources, Dimple plays a high-flying seductress. "The role is akin to Paris Hilton. Anees has borrowed liberally from Paris' lifestyle and wardrobe for Dimple in Welcome Back," an actor from the film whispers. 

When confronted with the Hilton-esque rumours, Anees says, "I can't reveal whom the role is modelled on. But Dimpleji plays a very rich woman with business interests across the world. She had to dress up accordingly. Dimpleji got Abu-Sandeep for the clothes. Each of her costumes is worth a small fortune. Dimpleji was always a very beautiful woman. But in Welcome Back she is stunning."

John Abraham is surely going all out lending his support to sports events in the country. After being roped in as the brand ambassador of the cycling race Tour De India, the actor recently bought a hockey team. 

John recently bought the team Delhi Waveriders from the Wave Group on a 50-50 basis and is now, the official co-owner of the team. Passionate about the game since childhood, John believes that since this is his first sports team, he has a special connection with them and it is his first step towards encouraging different sports in the country. 

John is currently in Dubai shooting for Welcome Back with Shruti Haasan.

Welcome Back was touted to be the comeback film of the evergreen on screen couple Amitabh and Rekha. However, Anees Bazmee recently revealed that both the actors have been replaced by Dimple Kapadia and the thespian Naseeruddin Shah.

Revealing about Dimple's role, the director stated that this will be her first attempt at comedy and she will be playing the role of a rich and glamorous lady where she will be sharing the screen space with Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor in the first half and with Naseer in the second. Naseer has supposedly replaced the late Feroz Khan from the prequel who played the don RDX in the film.

Welcome Back will star John Abraham and Shruti Haasan in the lead and the second schedule of the film is slated to go on floors in Dubai this month.

Firoz A Nadiadwala's Welcome Back directed by Anees Bazmee is turning out to be amongst the most expensive films to be shot, given the overseas locations the makers have chosen to shoot at.

News has it that the royal family of Dubai has made an exception, and given the film consent to shoot a pivotal scene on their personal yacht, a lavish one of its kind, customized yacht with 2 helipads.

Confirming the news, Firoz A Nadiadwala says, "It will be for the first time that this yacht will be featured in a film. It is a lavish one and has an open- air swimming pool and 50 staff members and two helipads. I've known the family for years". Adding that, "Director Anees Bazmee and I have visited the yacht and made arrangements. We are planning to shoot with aerial cameras."

Anees Bazmee's Welcome Back, the sequel to Welcome, has finally found a heroine. First it was Sonakshi Sinha who was almost on. Then there was insistent talk of Asin bagging the role.

But it's Kamal Haasan's daughter Shruti Haasan who has finally bagged the role opposite John. 

Shruti, who had a tame luckless beginning in Hindi films with Soham Shah's dud Luck opposite Imran Khan, seems poised for a second inning in Bollywood after her two back-to-back antithetical much-appreciated roles in Ramaiya Vastavaiya and D-Day.

Says Anees, "Yes, we've signed Shruti finally. She seems to be the right choice for the role opposite John. I wanted someone pretty spontaneous and with good comic timing. Shruti has all of this." 

About Sonakshi and Asin, Anees says, "Asin was only under consideration. We never got down to signing her. So I don't know how news of her bagging the role got out. As for Sonakshi, yes, we were keen to sign her. She too was enthusiastic. But she could only give me partial dates. I wanted the leading lady in Welcome Back to give us the complete dates required for the film." 

This would be the first time John would be paired with Shruti Haasan. "I think fresh screen pairs make a lot of difference to audiences' interest level," opines Anees.