Will start shooting in December
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 7, 2016)

The 1966 Vyjayanthimala and Sunil Dutt-starrer Amrapali is set for a remake with South actress Jinal Pandya in the lead. Now, Mirror has learnt that the makers have roped in Sanjay Dutt to play a pivotal role.

A source associated with the project reveals, "Some portions with Jinal were filmed last year and while Sanjay had already committed to the project, the makers were waiting for him to complete his jail term. He has now given his dates for December and the team is looking to wrap up the film by February next year. The initial portions of the film were directed by Atul Garg but the team is now being revamped with the makers looking for a new director and adding bigger names to the cast. Singer Madhushree and choreographer Saroj Khan, are among the additions to the team."

"I have seen the original which is a classic in its own right. Lataji, especially, had done such a great job with all the songs. I am a huge fan of her. I'd feel blessed if I can deliver something that's even close to what she did," says Madhushree.

While Dutt's spokesperson told us that nothing has been finalised yet, producer Baldev Singh Bedi, when contacted informed Mirror, "Yes, we are looking for a new director at the moment. We begin shooting with Sanjay in December and plan to film at various locations including Varanasi, Jaipur, Gaya, among others. Besides that we also have popular set designer Nitin Chandrakant Desai on board to create grand sets for our film."