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'No reservations about John acting in Sahib Bibi'

Not just Bhootnath. I also want John to play Arjun in my version of 'Mahabharata' where Bipasha will be Draupadi. He has the right personality for my version of the epic," Ghosh told IANS.

Ghosh admits that initially he had reservations about John as Bhootnath.

"I did have reservations about John as Bhootnath. But if you remember, I also had reservations about Kirron 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," he added.

Describing his epic film, which is titled "Draupadi", he said that it was a mixture of B.R. Chopra's "Mahabharata" and Peter Brooks' take on the Hindu epic.

"Draupadi has a huge canvas. We can't possibly show her whole life. It's the 'Mahabharata' seen from Draupadi's point of view. It would be very intimate, feminist and minimalist.

"I think B.R. Chopra did a great job of familiarising the nation with the 'Mahabharata'. Now everyone knows who's who in the epic, so my job is made easier."

Ghosh'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 was chosen primarily because of her skin complexion. Colour politics is very important in the 'Mahabharata'. Three of the characters Krishna, Vyas and Draupadi have to be really dark... Bipasha 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.80 million.

"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."

Regional actors will be roped in to play the Pandavas.

"That would make mine a pan-Indian film. But for Dhritarashtra and Kunti I want Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi. Shabana has already agreed. All the Pandavas have to be tall and rugged."

Ghosh has lined up two period epics for this year.

"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."

Ghosh, whose last Hindi film was Raincoat, says that he is looking forward to making another Hindi film specially after seeing Rang De Basanti.

"What a film! After 'Aks', I didn't have much faith in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. But 'Rang De Basanti' is so wonderful, so well acted, so fresh in thought and execution. Some major films about youth had no sense of purpose. 'Rang De Basanti' has a cause."