It’s official. And we got it out of Ajay Devgn’s business associate Kumar Mangat. After the unending speculation about who can be taking on Sridevi’s role within the remake of the 1983 hit Himmatwala, fuelled in no small measure by the neo-Himmatwala’s director Sajid Khan tightlipped silence, it's finally out
Telugu and Tamil actress Tamannaah Bhatia could be playing the lead opposite Ajay in Himmatwala.
Says Kumar Mangat, “Yes, it’s Tamannaah opposite Ajay in Himmatwala. The shooting starts in August. Ajay has Bol Bachchan on release and Son Of Sardar is sort of complete. Himmatwala is the one other project he'll start this year.”
Significantly names like Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma were bandied for the a part of the whipwielding firebrand that catapulted Sridevi to stardom in Himmatwala in 1983.
Says a source with regards to the project, “Katrina and Anushka turned down the role. It was then that Ajay felt a Southern actress would fit the bill. He recalled to his director Sajid Khan and producer Vashu Bhagnani how Sridevi too had emerged from Tamil-Telugu cinema for Himmatwala. Besides, Ajay has lately delivered a large hit with another Tamil-Telugu actress Kajal Aggarwal in Singham.”
We also hear that Tamannaah’s role within the new Himmatwala would part radically from the unique.
Says the source, “Sridevi in tight-fitting trousers and leather jacket with a whip in hand wouldn’t work now. This firebrand opposite Ajay would a wield a gun. Nainon mein sapna from the unique can be there. But it surely could be shot completely differently on Ajay and Tamannah.”
Initerestingly we're told Ajay sees sparks of Kajol within the way Tamannaah can be presented in Himmatwala.
There are some interesting similarities between Sridevi and Tamannaah. Both are Tamil-Telugu actress creating a bid to bombard Bollywood. Sridevi made a failed attempt in Solva Sawan before hitting big-time with Himmatwala. Tamannaah too has a flop Hindi film Chand Sa Roshan Chehra to her discredit.
“Tamannaah has already got to work on her body language for Himmatwala. Unlike Sri who couldn’t speak Hindi when she did Himmatwala and had her voice dubbed, Tamannah speaks fluent Hindi. She’s a Sindhi gone South.”
Other Southern sirens with a view to Bollywood: Ileana d’Cruz in Barfi, Taapsee Pannu in Chashme Buddoor, Samantha Ruth Prabhu in Assi Nabbe Sau.
