Mauritius’ loss becomes Sri Lanka’s gain.

Call it his newly-developed passion for the country or his persuasive tactics. But Salman Khan has convinced Anees Bazmi to change the location for their film Ready at the eleventh hour, just days before the crew was supposed to start shooting.

Salman is so sold on Sri Lanka that he wants his next film to be shot there. According to a source it was a vaada he made to himself while attending a film event in Colombo last week… and enjoying every minute of the experience.

“I’ll be back,” he promised his smitten Sri Lankan fans and kept it. The minute he landed in Mumbai he contacted the producer Bhooshan Kumar and director Anees Bazmi of his new action film Ready.

Ready was all set to be shot at a different location, Mauritius.

Says a source, “But when Salman expressed a keenness for the film to be located in Sri Lanka and promised that we’d be provided all the facilities and amenities we decided to go for it,” says director Anees Bazmi.

Salman Khan’s passionate interest in Colombo and all things Sri Lankan including cuisine and the ladies, was more than fairly evident when he was on the scenic island last week, enjoying the local hospitality, making it very clear that he didn’t really give a damn about the Tamilian protests against the Indian film fraternity’s presence in the strife-torn island.

Now that he’s going back to Sri Lanka barely two weeks after the event that made Salman the unofficial brand ambassador of Sri Lanka in Bollywood, the message from this rebellious Khan is loud and clear. Sri Lanka, it is for him, no matter what the political ramifications are.

Says Anees, “Yes, we selected Sri Lanka for the shooting because of Salman’s enthusiasm for the place. I had not been to the awards event—I wasn’t invited. Salman has created a huge rapport between Bollywood and Sri Lanka during his short visit there. On Salman’s recommendation I airdashed to Sri Lanka this week . He told me that it would be an ideal location for us. And he was right. We leave for Sri Lanka on 18 June for a 40-day schedule. We are shooting in two luxury resorts.”

Apparently Salman is now busy recommending Sri Lanka to his other producers and directors.

-Subhash K Jha/ Sampurn Wire