/>2008 promises to be Arshad Warsi's year. Not only has he signed some plum films with filmmakers as varied as Anil Kapoorand Rohit Shetty, Arshad has just inked a deal with Rakesh Roshan.

This would be Rakesh R's first film without his son in the last ten years.

"In fact, Rakeshji has been with this script for more than ten years," reveals Arshad,

Too busy and committed to Ashutosh Gowarker Jodha-Akbar and his father's next super-hero film, Hrithik has given this plum assignment the go-by.

Says Arshad, "For the first time I get to play this completely deranged character....a full-on mad man. I've never played a character like this. Why just me? I don't think such a character has been done before."

It's being directed by Rakesh Roshan's assistant Raja Sen.

This is Rakesh Roshan's first confident move forward in expanding and corporotizing his production house into a multi-filmmaking concern like Yashraj Films.

While he intends to concentrate on the projects that would star his son Hrithik, Rakesh Roshan will hire other directors for other productions.

Karan Johar too plans to direct one film a year and open his production house for outside directors.