Rahul Bhatt was to play suicide bomber in debut film

Call it coincidence or a quirk of fate, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt’s son Rahul was to make his acting debut playing a suicide bomber. Debasish Panigrahi reports.

Call it coincidence or a quirk of fate, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt’s son Rahul was to make his acting debut playing a suicide bomber.

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Nothing unusual about that, except that Rahul is currently mired in a controversy over his “friendship” with David Headley, a terror suspect arrested by the FBI. Vishesh Films, the family-owned production house, was to launch him in Suicide Bomber, as announced by his uncle Mukesh Bhatt.

Asked about the status of the film, originally slated for a 2009 release, Rahul said: “Please ask Mukesh Bhatt.” Mukesh was unavailable for comment.

Mukesh made the release announcement in 2006, over a year before Rahul met Headley at Moksh Gym at Breach Candy, and struck a friendship with the alleged Lashkar operative.

Rahul allegedly began looking for a house for Headley in Bandra. The film, based on the July 2005 London bombings, stalled after Anurag Basu, who was to direct it backed out.

Trade sources said Rahul, a fitness freak who graduated to being a gym instructor, never had acting aspirations — he agreed to the film only after persistent persuasion by his sister Pooja and father Mahesh.