Ranveer-Deepika film with Bhansali in trouble; 'SRK' to bail them out?

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan may never have worked with mercurial filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, but her producer husband Siddharth Roy Kapoor seems to be the last straw that the filmmaker is clinging onto, making sure that his most ambitious film ever Rani Padmavati is made.

Rani Padmavati which is a historical film is budgeted at a whopping Rs 1700 million rupees, and will be the most expensive Bollywood film ever made if Bhansali has his way. But then the film which has earlier been in the news for the casting – top Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has been confirmed as the leading lady, but then there are names ranging from actors Ranveer Singh to Shahid Kapoor, to Hrithik Roshan and others being tossed up for other characters.

But the new story is not about the cast, but whether the film can be made. Two major studios in Bollywood have pulled out of the project realising that they cannot handle a film of that magnitude. And it does seem that Bhansali has approached Siddharth Roy Kapoor who has put in his papers at Disney India to help him out.

Siddharth Roy Kapoor who is referred to as the ‘SRK’ of the corporate world is slated to join hands with Indian busiess tycoon Mukesh Ambani to start a new film production studio and has shown interest in Rani Padmavati.

“It is possible that the film will now be made the way Bhansali wants to make it. Bhansali is one of the most passionate filmmakers we have in India and it is important that the studio should believe in his vision,” says a source.

For those who are not really aware, around 40 % of the film’s total box office comes to the producer of the film. Which means that if a film is made at Rs 1700 million and it collects Rs 3000 million at the Indian box office, the producer gets around 1200 million as his share. If the satellite, overseas and other ancillary territories and rights are sold for Rs 500 million, the producer then breaks even.

Rani Padmavati or Rani Padmini as she was known, is the story of an Indian queen from Chittor, her husband Rawal Ratan Singh and an obsessive lover Allauddin Khilji. While Deepika Padukone has been signed on for a whopping Rs 110 million rupees plus taxes as her fees making her the most expensive actress in Bollywood, Ranveer Singh has been asked to play the role of Khilji and Shahid Kapoor is being considered for the role of Rawal Ratan Singh.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.