Sonup Sahadevan (MID-DAY; May 14, 2015)

Whispers in the industry corridors suggest that Randeep Hooda has been signed for famed South director S Shankar’s upcoming directorial venture. Sources in the know say that he is planning a mega project involving gladiators, princesses and dinosaurs for which he may soon approach Amitabh Bachchan as well.

“Shankar has a penchant for period romances. There will be a lot of VFX and other new-age technology used to make every little aspect look real. It will be on par with Hollywood standards,” says a source.

While the deal with Randeep has apparently been closed, sources close to the filmmaker say he is keen on roping in Bachchan. “Shankar is yet to approach Big B officially, but he wishes to work with the legendary actor in his next film,” reveals the source.

Apparently, auditions were carried out recently at a suburban five-star where casting coordinators along with Shankar’s team scouted for suitable female faces. This yet-to-be-titled project will reportedly be a bilingual.

While Randeep Hooda, who is shooting in Malaysia, couldn’t be reached for a comment, Shankar didn’t respond to our text messages.