IANS

Mumbai, Nov 19: Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu's plans to get her new friend, Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, to promote her feisty football flick Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal have come a cropper.

Explaining the cause of the change in plans, the actress said: "There's a huge problem. I was very keen and so was John (Abraham) and everyone else in the team. But then the sponsors got in the way.

"Ronaldo is part of the Manchester United Team whose sponsors are Nike while our film Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal is sponsored by Reebok. We had almost signed up with them. But now it seems impossible."

Apparently, the 22-year-old footballer is as disappointed as Bipasha.

"You know they were thinking of getting another celebrity footballer to promote our film. I offered to get Ronaldo. I had personally spoken to him. And he seemed very pleased to help a film that was so close to his heart. But then man proposes, sponsor disposes. Nowadays nothing gets done without the sponsors' consent," said the disappointed actress.

The entire cast of the movie wear Reebok shoes throughout the film.

"And I was the only girl among all the boys playing on the field. To be honest John, Arshad (Warsi), Boman (Irani) and the other male actors had all the fun. But I did get to kick some ball off camera and off field," said Bipasha.

Bipasha plays a Pakistani medico who rushes to the field every time a player gets injured. "I wore no makeup. It's a very realistic film that focuses on racial discrimination against Pakistanis, Indians and Bangladeshis in the UK. In one way or the other, we all face discrimination in life. Yeah, I've faced it too...How come I wasn't signed to play one of the footballers?" she guffawed.