Mani & Aamir together at last!

Mani & Aamir at last!

KUNAL M SHAH
[ 30 Jul, 2006 2100hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

The ace director and the star are all set to work together.

It's a coming together that Bollywood has been anticipating for a long time now. Where Mani Ratnam will wield the megaphone and Aamir Khan will go through the paces. Speculation about Khan working with Ratnam has finally come to rest.

The actor has signed Ratnam's Lajjo, which will be produced by Bobby Bedi and is expected to go on the floors by December end, after the release of Guru on December 22.

Now there are other speculations. Will there be a clash of egos between the star filmmaker and the thinking actor? Or will it be smooth sailing on the sets? Come December, we'll know more.

Apparently, Bedi was so impressed with Khan's dedication and perfection while filming Mangal Pandey that he was keen to work with him again. "We had a good working experience and he also fits the role to perfection. He is definitely the best choice," says Bedi.

After much prodding, Bedi reveals a bit about the project, "It's a love story based in Rajasthan and we will start shooting by December. In a sense it's a musical too, and A R Rahman is scoring the music."

This film will also mark the first time that Bedi will work with Ratnam. "I have known Mani for a long time now. In fact, we studied together in Mumbai.

Yes, this is the first time that he is directing a film for me as a producer. But I have worked with him earlier once during Saathiya, where he was the writer."