Ever since he took his shirt off in Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Salman Khan has sent movie buffs into a tizzy by flaunting his physique. So call it coincidence or quirk of fate that the actor will now produce the rags-to-riches story of Somen Banerjee, a Bengali immigrant, entrepreneur and founder of Chippendales (the popular nightspot best known for its male striptease performances and dancers who created a storm in the US in the 70s and 80s).

Confirming the news, Salman said, “A Bengali man, who moved from India to America in the late 60s, struggled and created one of America's most iconic brands. We are going to tell the story of Somen Banerjee, a man driven by fierce ambition, on celluloid.“

The biopic, which starts in Kolkata, moves into the glitzy Los Angeles and Europe. Coming from a humble background - his father was a printer - Somen's aspiration for a better life took him to America. Also known as Steve Banerjee, he lived a dual life; one driven by ambition and the other for the love of his family.

Amar Butala of Salman's production house adds, “The story of Somen Banerjee has all the shades of a gangster film - raw greed, power and violence.We're currently working on the script and the plan is two-fold - to produce a feature film and to develop it as a mini-series as well.“