On Monday the news that Shah Rukh Khan will play Mogambo to Ranveer Singh’s  Mr India went viral. But this seems  to be no more than  a marketing fantasy. Reliable sources say Shah Rukh Khan turned down the  role of Mogambo. “Director Ali Abbas Zafar approached Shah Rukh for  Mogambo’s role  in Mr India. But Shah Rukh said no. It would be foolhardy for him to take on an iconic role like that of Mogambo which Amrish Puri has immortalized. It would be stupid of any actor to touch that role. Shah  Rukh in any case is not doing any negative roles,” says a source close to the development.

And really who would dare to touch Mogambo or Gabbar (from the iconic Sholay)? According to a press release from Zee Studios who are  masterminding the  project, “This not a part 2 or a remake of the older film as recently reported in some sections of the media, but a re-imagining of the iconic classic.” This means Boney Kapoor who produced the original Mr India doesn’t get a single penny of copyright money.

Will the director, Ali Abbas Zafar’s friend Ranveer  Kapoor play the title  role iconized  by Anil Kapoor? Unlikely, from what I  hear Ranveer wants to  play Mogambo, daring to  go where angels and Shah Rukh fear to tread? Meanwhile, Zee Studios has confirmed their Mr India association with  Ali Abbas Zafar. Zee Studios has signed Ali Abbas Zafar to write and direct Mr. India. Based on the iconic characters of the 1987 cult classic, Ali Abbas Zafar’s Mr India will be set in a new, relevant and contemporary superhero world. The filmmaker is currently working on the script and building the superhero universe. The studio is gearing up to mount the film on a massive scale, making it one of the biggest spectacle films to come out of India.

Ali Abbas Zafar shared, “It is a huge responsibility to carry forward an iconic character that has been loved by Indians for so many years. I have just commenced working on the script, no actor has been locked till now, once the first draft of the script is ready, we will begin the casting process. The film involves massive amounts of pre-production and will go on floor early next year.”