By Subhash K. Jha,IANS

Unusual pair Mallika Sherawat and Sanjay Leela Bhansali sparkled on the sets of Karan Johar's chat show "Koffee With Karan".

During the last season, Bhansali had appeared with Aishwarya Rai. This time he will be seen with the hot and happening Mallika. According to sources, the two were initially wary of each other.

"And rightly so. What could there be in common between them? Luckily, Karan's characteristic affability soon put them at ease. Mallika was obviously awestruck and nervous. Sanjay put her at ease by telling her he was a far cry from his sober serious image and that he loved having fun," a source told IANS.

Once the camera was switched on, the threesome had a ball. Repartees flew fast and furious.

"Bhansali surprised Mallika by telling her he had always found her to be one of the most promising new discoveries, though she needed to work on her voice modulation. He also gently reminded her to get back to earth when she spoke about her superiority complex," added the source.

Apparently, the vibes on the sets were rib tickling with the two filmmakers often laughing uproariously at Mallika's self-declarations.

"At one point Mallika high-handedly declares that she would like the three Khans -- Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman -- to serve her meals. And when Karan cockily asks her which hero's butt she likes best, Mallika changes the topic to female butts and declares she likes Bipasha Basu's butt best."

When asked about this extremely unorthodox tête-à-tête featuring the genius filmmaker and the femme fatale, Karan said: "I don't know who gives you all this information. But yes, we did shoot with my favourite filmmaker and one of the sexiest actresses. It was great fun.

"As I said earlier I don't only want to bring on unusual and exciting guests, I want to bring them on in unexpected combinations. I believe opposites make sparks fly. Watch out for the fireworks this season on 'Koffee With Karan'."