In love & in the lead

Abbas Tyrewala is all set to begin his next film, 1-800-Love. John Abraham will play the lead in this film opposite Abbas���s wife Pakhi, who has also written the script.
Pakhi was the casting director in Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, Abbas��� directorial debut, and apparently, she cast herself in the film.
���She made me an offer I couldn���t refuse. She said that I either cast her in the film or she would kill me...No, I���m just joking,��� laughs Abbas, as he goes on to explain how the casting happened. ���Pakhi did what Sylvester Stallone did for Rocky. She wrote a damn good script for herself and offered it to me on the condition that I cast her in the lead. I agreed to her terms as I needed to direct another film and was short on time to write it myself. She took me up on my half-joking offer.���
However, Abbas insists that he took Pakhi only because of her acting prowess and not because of her insistence. ���While narrating the script to me, John and my producer Madhu, Pakhi narrated the script while enacting all the characters scene by scene. When she performed the female protagonist Mishka���s role, she was fantastic. We all agreed that she was the best person to play the part,��� he explains.
And though Abbas seems absolutely smitten by his wife, he definitely is very objective about his role as a filmmaker. ���If I feel a pang if my wife has a kissing scene on screen, then I have no moral right to be a filmmaker,��� Abbas says.