Sanjay Khan, producer of TV serial The Sword of Tipu Sultan (1989) is set to produce a film, The Legend of Rama, to be co-scripted by Sanjay Khan and UK-based author Farrukh Dhondy.Talking about this epic project, Zayed Khan says, “Yes, my father is indeed making Ramayan. It’s called The Legend of Rama. He has been planning this film for the last three years and looking for a perfect actor to play Ram. And who but Hrithik could be the perfect choice for the role?”
According to sources, the cast includes Sanjay’s superstar son-in-law, Hrithik Roshan as Ram, Sanjay’s son Zayed as Laxman and Amitabh Bachchan as Dashrath.
Dhondy, who is currently in Mumbai to give finishing touches to the script, says, “It’s Ramayan in modern format and the script is ready. This means it will be the Ramayan in The Lord Of The Rings genre. The screenplay has the motion, motivation and movement of a Shakespearean play. When you do a Mahabharat, Ramayan or any other scripture the danger is, it just becomes - the Gods did this, Gods did that because the Gods can do anything they like. I’m trying to rationalise the ways of the Gods. Hrithik is the perfect Ram and Zayed the perfect Laxman.”
Apparently, Amitabh Bachchan had agreed to play Dashrath, but that was two years ago. As for Zayed playing Laxman, the young actor, who will be seen as the pampered younger brother in Subhash Ghai’s Yuvvraaj, chuckles, “Playing Laxman in one form or another is the story of my life.”
However, it is yet to be seen, who plays Sita and Ravan. Interestingly, Raj Kumar Santoshi had announced his version of Ramayan with Ajay Devgan, Kajol and Riteish Deshmukh as Rama, Sita and Laxman respectively. But the project was shelved.
This year Ekta Kapoor’s ambitious TV serial, Mahabharat, was struggling to drum up the TRPs. Will Sanjay Khan be able to break the jinx on the epic sagas, because not everyone is B.R.Chopra?
