By Subhash K Jha

Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS) Pratik Babbar, and not Abhishek Bachchan, will pay the lead in Goldie Behl's next film.

Shooting on the Mumbai streets in movies about life in the metropolis has become a way of life for Pratik Babbar, son of the late actress Smita Patil. Last month he shot for Raghav Dar's "My Friend Pinto" on the streets of Mumbai. Now during the whole of July Pratik will be on the streets of Mumbai, shooting in the pelting rain for a thriller set in the monsoon.

Remember Smita Patil's celebrated song in the rain "Aaj Rapat Jayen" with Amitabh Bachchan in Namak Halal?

Apparently Smita was so unhappy doing a rain song that she cried after she came home.

One hopes Pratik likes the rain more. Goldie will shoot the entire film tentatively entitled "Copycat" in the rain.

Says the director: "It's a gritty realistic romantic thriller set on the streets of Mumbai during the rains. We'll be shooting from July through the monsoon."

Goldie didn't want artificial studio rain for the film. But he did want Pratik for the lead.

"There's something special about that boy, besides the fact that he looks so much like his mother. He suits the role perfectly," Goldie said.

A new girl will star opposite Pratik. A short-list of hopefuls has been drawn up and Goldie will take his best friend and almost-brother Abhishek's help to choose the finalist for the female lead.