It’s official now. Mani Ratnam, the giant of the South Indian film industry, has signed a Rs. 120 crores deal with Anil Ambani’s Reliance Entertainments. One single script, to be produced in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, has a whopping budget of over a 100 crores.
With Abhishek Bachchan playing the lead in Hindi, Vikram in Tamil and Telugu, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be the heroine in all the three languages. Abhishek will essay a pivotal role in Tamil and Telugu and Vikram will do the same in Hindi. Govinda is also expected to be signed up for the Hindi version. A.R. Rehman has been roped in to compose some heartbreaking music.
Karaikudi will be the location of the first shooting schedule which will start on August 10th. A sizeable portion is planned to be shot on location in Madhya Pradesh.
The film’s subject is based on the Ramayana, say insiders. Another Mani Ratnam classic, Thalapathi, the Rajinikanth-Mamootty starrer, drew inspiration from the Mahabharat, with two brothers (Rajni and Aravind Swamy) ranged against one another in opposing camps.
