/> There is tension brewing in Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh over a film that is being shot there from this week featuring Manoj Bajpai as a powerful goon. The character, claim locals, is based on one of their leaders.

But Manoj protests he is playing a modern Ravan.

After Abhishek Bachchan in Mani Ratnam's Ravan Manoj Bajpai is playing Ravan in director Maqbool Khan's film tentatively title Bijnor. And Manoj is leaving no stone unturned to make sure the mythical abductor of Sita is put across on screen in the morally and politically corrupt perspective.

The method actor known in the past to go to great lengths to get into character (Manoj had remained unbathed for days to play the gangster in Satya) has been reading up extensively on Ravan and has emerged with some startling details on the fascinating character.

Speaking on Ravan authoritatively Manoj says, "Ravan was no devil or villain. He was a very learned man, an intellectual and a scholar and sensitive poet. He had one fatal flaw. He fell in love with a woman who didn't love him back. My character in Maqbool's film makes the same mistake. "

Sita in Maqbool Khan's film is played by the Haunted girl Tiya Bajapyee. And since Maqbool's film is produced by the Haunted producer Vikram Bhatt we aren't really surprised to hear that.

What comes as surprise is to know that Bijnor where the film will be shot is tense with the reports that Manoj Bajpai is playing a character based on a local political with dozens of criminal cases against him.

A source close to the project admits that various incidents from the aforementioned politician's crime-file have been used in Manoj Bajpai's character. But Manoj wants to avoid all controversy and trouble in Bijnore.

"We maintain that my Ravan has nothing to do with any living politician in that area. So the people of Bijnor can relax, " he says poker-faced and proceeds to passionately defend Mani Ratnam's Ravan.

"Just because the Hindi version didn't work it doesn't mean Mani's interpretation of Ravan went wrong. The Tamil version did very well. I still remember Ashish Vidyarthi's message after Ravan was released saying it was a masterpiece of cinema. I agree Mani understood what I am trying to say about Ravan. He was a misunderstood genius. "

The antagonist from Ramayan never had it so good. Not only is Shah Rukh Khan gearing to play a character named Ra. 1 the original Ravan seems to have more avatars on screen than the number of heads the mythological character was said to carry around on his shoulder.

Even Ram Gopal Varma (who did a take on Sita's abduction by Ravan in Jungle) is planning to ‘de-demonize' Ravan in a film.

Maqbool Khan who earlier made the unreleased Kabootar a hard-hitting film on the criminalization of youngsters in Uttar Pradesh says, "Manoj plays a Ravan of modern times. Ravan the righteous man who had one fatal flaw. He fell in love. A man who shuns politics but rules the district of Bijnor.

A man who admires courage and thinks of improving his land and oeople. A man who thinks with his heart. His mistake? The girl doesn't love him back. And he won't accept the rejection. Obsession, madness and mayhem follow. "

As Manoj left for Bijnor on Thursday with a nervous heart he hoped the people of the locality wouldn't make the shooting difficult.

Fingers crossed!