There’s something about Salman Khan’s movies that generate tremendous curiosity. Even as the actor is filming Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, filmmakers and fans are speculating about his next project. mid-day has learnt that Khan, who also has Dabangg 4 on the cards, is likely to begin shooting for the Veteran (2015) remake after the release of Farhad Samji’s directorial venture.

The Veteran adaptation has been in the news for long — in 2019, producer Atul Agnihotri had picked up the remake rights of the South Korean actioner. Over three years later, Khan is finally ready to dive into its world.

What piqued our interest further is that Abhiraj Minawala, who previously directed Loveyatri (2018), is said to be roped in to helm the movie. “After Loveyatri, Abhiraj was brought on board as the director for Antim: The Final Truth [2021]. However, he was later replaced by Mahesh Manjrekar, way before the film went on floors. He then served as an assistant director on Tiger 3. Now, Abhiraj is adapting the Korean film for the Indian audiences. It will be a massy entertainer, with high-octane action and a fair dose of comedy, along the lines of what Salman’s fans expect from him,” says a source.

One of the biggest hits of Korean cinema in 2015, Veteran revolves around an honest police detective who seeks justice for a truck driver’s son, and in the process, finds himself pitted against a business tycoon’s son who runs a crime syndicate. Khan will step into Hwang Jung-min’s shoes in the remake. 

This is the superstar’s second official Korean remake — Bharat (2019) was an adaptation of the Korean drama, Ode To My Father (2014), which incidentally also had Jung-min in the lead. The source adds, “Last year, rumours were rife that Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai was a remake of Veteran, but that was not true. If all goes as planned, Atul will take the Hindi remake on floors in February 2023, targeting an Eid 2024 release.”

mid-day reached out to Agnihotri and Minawala, who didn’t respond till press time.