/> There's bad and good news for Hrithik Roshan's fans in 2008. Hrithik's next starrer would not be directed by his father. In fact papa Roshan has decided to take a long sabbatical from direction.

But hold on. Rakesh Roshan is producing a film to start in July 2008 that will feature Hrithik in a never-before avatar.

"It's an action thriller with a strong love story at its heart. Anurag Basu whom both me and Hrithik think very highly of, is directing the film for us," reveals Rakesh Roshan a week before year-end, thereby putting an end to all wild speculation about the seriousness of Hrithik's knee injury.

It's been a time of turmoil for Hrithik Roshan. A troublesome knew injury finally decided to act up seriously.

"The doctors told him he needed to rest the knee completely, and I mean completely, otherwise it would give way. The injury got aggravated from all the stunts in his recent films including Krissh.

It got to a point where his knee gave way completely. The doctors said he had to take complete rest for two months or face the consequences," says concerned papa Rakesh Roshan.

Hrithik who has just returned from two weeks in Singapore now leaves for the Gold Coast for further recuperation.

He returns to perform an intricate item number for his father's first non-Hrithik production Krazzy 4. "Well, people always wondered how I could make a film without Hrithik. So here he is, all set to do his career's first item song.

My brother Rajesh Roshan has already recorded the song and I'm putting up an elaborate set for the song to be shot in March 2008. However let me warn Hrithik's fans, if I feel his knee is not up to it, I won't shoot the song."

The year 2007 has been a quiet year for Rakesh Roshan as a director. "And so it will remain in 2008. I'm not directing any film.

As I said Anurag Basu will direct my son in our next production. I've spent 40 years in the movie business and enjoyed every second of it. But now I need to devote time to my family, and to myself.

I want to watch my gradson grow up. My hands are as full with production work as I want it to be."

He promises Krazzy 4 will be unlike the avalanche of comedies that have hit us in recent times. "It's a funny film. But it's neither slapstick nor vulgar. Very frankly I am very confused by the kind of films that are doing well.

Audiences don't want us to make anything that pushes the envelope. I'd rather not direct films than make the kind of films that click these days."