I didn’t know Imtiaz made me an offer: Mamta

Rumours abound that Charmee has replaced Mamta Mohandas in a Malayalam film with Dileep in the lead role,

after Mamta was diagnosed with
swine flu. “It’s true that I had to back out of the film because I’ve not been well,”
says Mamta, adding, “but I don’t have swine flu. I had a lump on my chest and had to have surgery,” she says.

Mamta is now on post-surgery medication, and won’t be shooting until mid-September. “I was keen to work in a Malayalam film. But my doctor has warned me against travelling because it could expose me to infection,” she explains.

There were also reports that Mamta was citing her illness as an excuse to avoid doing films in the south while she plans her Bollywood entry. “It’s all false. I’ll start shooting for a Telugu film with Nagarjuna sometime in September,” she clarifies.

She also has a list of directors she’d love to work with. “My list includes Priyadarshan, Vishal Bhardwaj, Karan Johar and Imtiaz Ali, among others. It is a long wish-list,” she says.

So is it true that Imtiaz, who was completely taken with her portfolio, has offered her a film? “I’ve no clue how my portfolio reached him and know nothing about him making me an offer,” Mamta says. However, she’s not ruling out B-town. “In fact, I’m starting a Bollywood film next year, but I don’t want to disclose the details,” she says.

Bollywood’s not a bad place for southern heroines, she adds. “It’s a means of reaching out to a wider audience. We have the talent for it,” she says.