By Subhash K Jha

It's final. Nikhil Advani riding high after the success of his espionage thriller D Day has been pencilled in to direct the remake Subhash Ghai's 1983 musical blockbuster Hero, the film that had launched the careers of Jackie Shroff and Meenakshi Sheshadri into the big league.

Advani who worked wonders with newcomers Sri Swara and Akash Dahiya in D Day, hopes to work Ghai's magic on debutants Suraj Pancholi and Aathiya Shetty, progenies of Aditya Pacholi-Zarina Wahab and Suniel Shetty, respectively.

Advani who is also committed to direct the sequel to Mr India for producer Boney Kapoor would now be putting Suraj and Aathiya through rigorous workshops.

Says a source close to the project, `Those were different times. A time of innocence even when Jackie played a hoodlum. Jackie's character has to be pitched differently now, more edgy and dark. While Meenakshi Sheshadri's character would remain the same in spirit when Aathita takes over, Suraj's Kishen would be very different from Jackie's Kishen. `


The source tells us that Nikhil intends to rewrite the entire script and the characters to suit the definitions of presentday love courtship and elopement.

But some of the original music may be retained.

Says the source, `Nikhil has a very sharp music sense. All his films have terrific music. He will retain some of the songs Pyar karne wale kabhi darte nahin, Nindiya se jaagi bahaar and Tu mera hero hai which Laxmikant-Pyarelal composed may be used in the remake. But Nikhil has decided on a very fresh approach to the subject. `

The original Hero was about the forbidden love between a police officer's sister Radha and an outlaw Jaikishen and his efforts to go straight for the sake of love.

The remake would be radically different from the original.