Producer
Uru
Patel
has
now
zeroed
in
on
Aamir
Khan
to
play
'Hanuman',
though
God
forbid,
not
as
a
monkey
God,
but
as
a
super-hero,
who
can
fly
over
mountains
and
skyscrapers
and
rescue
the
modern-day
Rama
from
the
ravenous
Ravans
of
today"s
world.
Hollywood
stars
Keanu
Reeves
and
Gary
Oldman
will
play
Rama
and
Ravan,
respectively.
Sita
was
to
be
played
by
Shilpa
Shetty.
But
she
has
opted
out
since
then.
The
hunt
is
on
for
a
new
international
face
to
play
Sita.
Aamir
has
been
keen
to
do
super-hero
film,
especially
after
Hrithik
Roshan"s
Krissh
and
Shahrukh
Khan"s
forthcoming
Ra.1
(where
he
plays
a
desi
Spiderman).
Hanuman
will
now
be
played
as
a
super-hero
with
the
best
action
directors
and
special-effects
experts
ensuring
Aamir"s
safe
passage
into
super-heroism.
The
whole
project
now
depends
on
Aamir"s
nod,
which
he"ll
give
only
after
he
approves
of
the
script.
The
catch
is,
Aamir"s
signature
will
have
to
be
on
every
page
of
the
script.
Says
a
source,
“Aamir
wants
to
sign
every
page
of
the
script
to
ensure
no
changes
happen
during
shooting.
Only
then
will
he
agree
to
play
'Hanuman'."
Apparently,
this
is
the
method
of
working
-
signature
on
every
page
of
the
script
-
that
Aamir
will
adopt
in
all
his
future
projects,
whenever
he
signs
more
films.
For
now
it
looks
like
Hanuman
will
be
his
first
assignment
after
the
blockbuster
Ghajini.
Earlier,
Hanuman
was
to
be
directed
by
Luis
Mandoki
(of
Message
In
A
Bottle
fame).
Mandoki
wrote
the
first
few
drafts
of
the
project.
But
now
the
chosen
director
is
Chuck
Russell,
whose
familiarity
with
the
language
of
fantasy
(Eraser,
The
Mask,
The
Scorpion
King,
Mandrake)
qualified
him
for
the
job
of
directing
Hanuman.
A
hush-hush
meeting
happened
in
Los
Angeles
three
months
ago
at
producer
Uru
Patel"s
residence,
where
director
Chuck
Russell
met
up
with
the
project"s
executive
producer
Pradeep
Guha.
The
project
has
now
passed
into
Aamir"s
hand
and
his
approval
is
awaited.
Says
Pradeep
Guha,
“He
has
been
approached.
But
Aamir
will
decide
after
he
reads
the
script."
Other
sources
insist
that
the
makers
of
Hanuman
are
keen
have
Aamir
on
board
and
ready
to
comply
with
all
his
preconditions.
Once
Aamir
signs
the
film
formally,
the
first
schedule
of
Hanuman
is
expected
to
be
held
in
Rajasthan,
at
the
end
of
the
year.
The
rest
of
the
film
will
be
shot
at
Hollywood
studios.