Mehra about to close on Bhaag Milkha Bhaag lead
By FNN | March 8, 2011, 10:23am IST
Will it be Akshay Kumar? Or is Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra looking at Ranbir Kapoor to play the title role of Mikha Singh in his dream biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag? And in case he says no as well, will it be new find Ranveer Singh (of Band Baaja Baaraat fame) who will make the cut? These are some of the many rumours that are amusing Mehra no end.
"I guess everyone is coming up with his wish list here and I am the last person to know", teases Mehra when asked if rumours around Akshay, Ranbir and Ranveer being approached for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag were indeed true, "Other than Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, every other top name has been discussed. Not a bad idea actually, let me try approaching them."
While he is happy to joke about the current situation that he is in, Mehra was convinced that instead of waiting any longer for a superstar to give a nod of approval to his project, even a debutants or a relative newcomers won't be a bad choice either.
"That's right, I broadened my search from India to even UK and Canada", says the Rang De Basanti director whose last film was Delhi 6, "What I wanted was someone who is totally raw and fresh or has perhaps done just one or two films."
For someone who has worked with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan (Aks), Aamir Khan and Abhishek Bachchan in the past, won't it be akin to taking a step down?
"I would be happy to go with an actor who doesn't have an established image. Look at so many films failing today. Audience go in to see their favourite face on screen and when he doesn't deliver as they expect him to, they feel cheated. I don't blame actors; they could be coming up with the best ever performance of their lifetime but audience doesn't necessarily want to see a good performance every time. It takes a lot to erase an image and this holds good both for the audience as well as the star."
Admitting that he is close to finalising the lead for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Mehra adds, "I understand that a star big brings in quick finance. However, I am pleasantly surprised with the kind of untapped talent that we have in our country. The pleasure is all mine to now pick and choose the best", he says.
Guess big guns like Big B and Shah Rukh would have to wait after all!
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