/> Nitin Desai has been asked to construct a set at his studio in Karjat at the outskirts of Mumbai for Ekta Kapoor's Balajee Films at an estimated cost of Rs 8.5 crores.

"Lying low? Have I been lying low? If I have it's because that's what I wanted to do. Do you really think I care about what my well-wishers would like to think about me?"

Chuckles the czarina of soaps Ekta Kapoor, all set to strike back, though not necessarily through the home medium

Accoding to sources Ekta is all set to strengthen her film-making cell, with a number of big-budget films.

The first epic to go on the floors would be Milan Luthria's gangster epic Once Upon A Time In Mumbai where Ajay Devgan and Emran Hashmi have been cast as Haji Mastan and Dawood Ibrahim, respectively.

While confirming the cast, a very reliable source from Balajee also confirms that Sanjay Dutt who was to play a pivotal role is no longer on.

Says the source, "Sanjay Dutt was supposed to play a cop. That role is not as pivotal as the other two principal roles. And Ekta is now looking at several actors for that part. Once Upon A Time.... is like a precursor to Ram Gopal Varma's Company.

While Ramu's film was about Dawood and Chota Rajan, Ekta's film goes back in time to the beginnings of the underworld in the 1980s to delineate the guru-chela relationship between Haji and Dawood. "

A set depicting Mumbai in the 1980s has been assigned to art director Nitin Desai.

Says the source, "When Ekta heard the set was going to cost Rs 8.5 crores she was slightly hesistant. But then she saw the design of the set she immediately agreed."

For those who think Ekta Kapoor is hard hit by the termination and debacle of some of her serials here's the news that won't surprise her friends associates and rivals who know her closely.

Ekta is all set to make re-consolidate her position.

"I don't think I owe anyone except parents, my company and myself an explanation. If I've chosen to remain quiet it's because I didn't want to talk about what I planned until I was ready to hit the road. Now we're all set to start Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, "says Ekta

The films rolls in April 2009.