The usually austere director has loosened up his strings a little to accommodate the svelte actress. Insiders say, Manirathnam doesn’t want to go without Mallika as Guru is a period film and the subject is a little serious. To ensure that the viewers would not be hit by boredom, he has roped in Mallika and no doubt her scenes in Guru would be steamy.

Mallika, the Rohtak girl with a simple name like Reema Lamba rose to starry heights after ‘Murder’. She is the most sought after actress all over India. She has no qualms about doing ‘item’ numbers. Remember, she is also acting in Kamal’s much awaited Dasavatharam.