Director duo Abbas-Mustan makes up with Viacom 18 over lunch date with COO; will work on a Rs 90 cr film together

Another director-producer dushmani has come to a suitably lucrative end. Abbas-Mustan and Viacom 18, who reportedly had a fall out over the delays and financial setbacks during the making of Players, patched up last week.

Vikram Malhotra, COO of Viacom 18 met Abbas-Mustan over lunch last Monday to sort out their differences. Now the directorial duo is all set to make yet another mammoth-budget adventure saga for Viacom 18.

Working with an estimated budget of Rs 90 crore, the film is described by a source as an "edgy urban thriller about the politics of relationships in a metropolitan setting."

"It's an original script unlike the remakes, unofficial and official, that Abbas-Mustan specialise in. The co-directors had worked on the script for Viacom before Players, " said the source. Another source however, added that the film would replicate the flavour and mood of Rob Reiner's A Few Good Men.

The film will have a top-heavy star cast. Apparently Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Imran Khan are the options to play the lead.

When contacted, Abbas insisted there were no differences with Viacom 18. "We made Life Partner and then Players for them. We're very close to the production house. Yes, we met Vikram Malhotra over lunch on Monday.

We're doing another film for Viacom 18. It will be very different and bold." Abbas also said that the duo has agreed to do a film for Shemaroo. "Players took away two and a half years of our lives. We need to make up for lost time, " said Abbas.