MUMBAI: Every director has a favorite heroine and most often, for inexplicable reasons, like David Dhawan’s casting of Rambha or Priyadarshan of Rimi Sen. Well, now Priyadarshan has changed loyalties and his current favorite is Rituparna Sengupta, another Bong sensation.

Sengupta said, "I was first cast for Priyan sir’s film with Percept Picture Company, Bum Bum Bole with Atul Kulkarni and Darsheel Saffary. After that film was complete, I got a call from his office offering me a role in his latest political thriller, which is yet to be titled."

Priyan is currently shooting his film on the Kerala Karnataka border with Ajay Devgan, Akshaye Khanna and Bipasha Basu. Rituparna added, "The film is based on the caste war of North India and I play an integral part of the film, whose character is helped by Akshaye Khanna."

Priyan had first cast Sen in Hungama. He was impressed with her commitment to work and therefore cast her in his other films like Garam Masala and Kyon Ki. But it now appears that his loyalties have shifted to Sengupta, who also has a National Award for Best Actress to her name. Additionally, Priyan has also cast another Bengali beauty – Bipasha Basu – in the main lead.