Subhash K Jha (DNA; September 2, 2014)


Shooting began in Lucknow (where the film will be shot in its entirety) and the schedule is expected to last for three months.

The film, which has been talked about for years now, reportedly had names like Lara Dutta and Chitrangada Singh associated with it. Last heard, Kajal Aggarwal was on board. Prior commitments in Tollywood were cited as a reason for the Singham actress to opt out of the project. Her exit paved the way for Aditi to take over as Chandramukhi. A source close to the project maintains, “Richa fits the bill as far as the requirements for Paro went — he wanted someone fiery, yet dignified. And having worked with Aditi in Yeh Saali ZIndagi, Sudhir was aware that she is a trained Indian classical dancer and would be perfect as his Chandramukhi. Also, he had a particular personality and look in mind for both roles.”

For the role of the modern-day Devdas, however, Bhatt was Sudhir’s first and only choice after being ‘blown away’ by his performance in Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly, says the source.

In a recent interview, Sudhir admitted that the film, “a political thriller with very strong romantic angles to it” was his “tribute to Devdas” but added that it owed as much to the “influence of William Shakespeare” on him maintaining that it was “certainly not a remake of classic Devdas”.