The maverick filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his multi-starrer period dramas that have larger-than-life magnificent sets, elaborate compositions, and unforgettable characters. With films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani, and Padmaavat, Bhansali has proved his supremacy in making visually stunning magnum opuses, establishing himself as one of the best and most passionate Hindi filmmakers India has ever produced. Fresh out of the box office success of Gangubai Kathiawadi this year, the director is next making a musical saga, titled Baiju Bawra. And if all goes well, he might bring together the two biggest young Bollywood superstars of today to headline this project.
Peepingmoon.com has learned that Sanjay Leela Bhansali is keen on casting both Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor in Baiju Bawra. While Ranveer is already locked in, talks are still on with Ranbir. "Baiju Bawra is a two-hero film, and Bhansali wants Ranbir Kapoor to play the parallel lead alongside Ranveer Singh. The director recently discussed this film with Ranbir, and he is hopeful that the Brahmastra actor will come on board. Bhansali’s new favourite and Ranbir’s wife, Alia Bhatt, has been the icebreaker between the two, who, as many may know, had a big fall out during Saawariya’s shooting, following which they both had decided to not work with each other ever again. Ranbir, however, hasn’t given his nod yet and the ball is completely in his court whether he rejects the offer or agrees to be a part of this massive revenge saga, burying the past hatchet," an industry source told us.
Baiju Bawra has been defined as a revenge story of a maverick maestro. Adapted from Vijay Bhatt’s 1952 classic of the same name, the film revolves around a young musician named Baiju who challenges the famous maestro Tansen in Mughal Emperor Akbar's court to a musical duel in order to avenge his father's death. It's not yet clear who has been offered which role, but it’s certain that if both Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh come together, the film will become the hottest movie coming out of the Hindi film industry next year. As for the heroines, Alia Bhatt has been paired opposite Ranveer, while the second heroine is yet to be locked. Kiara Advani is said to have been approached, but she is yet to sign on the dotted line.
Bhansali is expected to start shooting Baiju Bawra in the first quarter of 2023. He will dive headlong into this film after finishing his ambitious Netflix series, Heera Mandi, which is supposed to be wrapped by December this year. Bhansali’s regular writing partner, Prakash Kapadia (Devdas, Bajirao Mastani), is currently writing the script and is expected to finish it by next month-end. The director will get into the film’s other production aspects only once Heera Mandi is out of his system.
On the work front, Ranveer Singh has Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani and Baiju Bawra in the pipeline, and has not signed any other project as speculated in the media. He has been offered the superhero flick, Shaktiman, and he is said to be seriously contemplating it. However, that film is a mega-budget, super ambitious project which will get off the ground only by 2023-end. Ranbir Kapoor, on the other hand, has finished Luv Ranjan’s rom-com with Shraddha Kapoor and is currently shooting for Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal. He is also committed to Nitesh Tiwari’s mythological epic, Ramayana, where he is expected to play Ram against Hrithik Roshan’s Ravana. But that project is still in the writing and research stage and will take at least one more year to go into production. Ramayana’s fate also depends on how Om Raut’s Adipurush, starring Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, and Kriti Sanon, performs at the box office.
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