Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; August 2, 2016)

Looks like Akshaye Khanna, who plays the baddie in his comeback vehicle, Dishoom, is all set to turn wicked again. Making it two on the trot, the actor has been signed to play a negative character in the remake of B R Chopra’s 1969 classic, Ittefaq, which starred Rajesh Khanna and Nanda.

Says a source, “He has been signed for a key role, which wasn’t part of the original script. It has been written specifically for him. The film will go on floors in a couple of months.”

Chopra’s grandson, Abhay, who will direct the remake that’s being co-produced by Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar, has contemporised the story and rewritten the climax to keep suspense intact. The fresh pair of Sidharth Malhotra and Sonakshi Sinha will reprise the characters of Dilip Roy and Rekha.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui was supposed to play the iconic role of Inspector Karwe in this one, but he opted out of the project over creative differences.

Ittefaq, itself a remake of British film, Signpost to Murder (1964), revolved around an artist, who is accused of murdering his wife whom he had pushed in a fit of rage. He then spends the stormy night with a rich woman who harbours a dark secret of her own.