It
looks
like
the
'media
mischief'
between
Bengal's
prized
celluloid
creator
Rituparno
Ghosh
and
John
Abraham
are
over.
Claiming
he
was
misquoted
on
John
being
a
misfit
to
play
Bhootnath
in
Pritish
Nandy
Communications
Sahib
Bibi
Aur
Ghulam,
Ritu
says
he's
now
at
peace
with
the
idea.
"I
never
said
I
was
unhappy
with
John
as
an
actor.
We
sorted
out
the
differences.
Not
just
Bhootnath.
I
also
want
John
to
play
Arjun
in
my
Mahabharat
where
bipasha
basu
will
be
Draupadi.
He
has
the
right
personality
for
my
version
of
the
epic.
Initially
I
did
have
reservations
about
John
as
Bhootnath.
But
if
you
remember,
I
also
had
reservations
about
Kiran
Kher
in
Bariwali.
Finally
she
was
fine.
Once
I
came
to
terms
with
John
as
Bhootnath,
I've
decided
to
re-write
the
character
to
suit
his
persona."
Ritu
describes
his
Draupadi
as
a
mixture
of
B.R.
Chopra's
Mahabharat
and
Peter
Brooks'
take
on
the
Hindu
epic.
"Draupadi
has
a
huge
canvas
We
can't
possibly
show
her
whole
life.
It's
the
Mahabharat
seen
from
Draupadi's
point
of
view.
It
would
be
very
intimate,
womanist
and
minimalist...I
think
B.R.
Chopra
did
a
great
job
of
familiarizing
the
nation
with
the
Mahabharat.
Now
everyone
know
who's
who
in
the
epic,
so
my
job
is
made
easier."
Ritu's
Draupadi
would
be
a
mixture
of
Mallika
Sarabhai
in
Peter
Brooks'
Mahabharat
and
Roopa
Ganguly
in
B.R.
Chopra's
take
on
the
epic.
"bipasha
basu
was
chosen
primarily
because
of
her
skin
complexion.
Color
politics
is
very
important
in
the
Mahabharat.
Three
of
the
characters
Krishna,
Vyas
and
Draupadi
have
to
be
really
dark....
bipasha
basu
is
a
very
contemporary
actress.
But
to
me
getting
the
look
right
is
half
the
battle.
She
has
the
sensuality,
enigma
and
the
beauty.
When
I
worked
in
Chokher
Bali
with
Aishwarya
Rai
everyone
said
she
was
plastic.
But
see
what
she
did."
The
film
will
be
made
at
an
estimated
budget
of
Rs
8
crores.
"That
isn't
too
much
money.
I
don't
see
my
Draupadi
as
a
lavish
flamboyant
kitschy
epic.
But
the
whole
film
will
be
shot
outdoors
in
Ladakh.
My
story
starts
after
the
great
epic
war."
Ritu
wants
regional
actors
to
play
the
Pandavas.
"That
would
make
mine
a
pan-Indian
film.
But
for
Dhritirashtra
and
Kunti
I
want
Naseer
and
Shabana.
Shabana
has
already
agreed.
All
the
Pandavas
have
to
be
tall
and
rugged."
Ritu
has
lined
up
two
period
epics.
"But
making
Draupadi
and
then
going
into
Sahib
Bibi
Aur
Ghulam
would
be
no
stress
for
me.
Yes
they're
much
bigger
films
than
my
two
new
films
Khela
and
Sunglass.
But
making
epics
aren't
a
daunting
task.
No
matter
what
the
size
of
a
film,
its
making
will
fill
you
with
the
nervous
excitement
of
trying
out
the
unknown.
But
yes,
making
Sahib
Bibi....
Will
be
easier
than
Draupadi.
I
know
the
milieu.