Baghban Director Ravi Chopra's search for a suitable replacement-husband for Rani Mukerji in Babul is finally over.

John Abraham has agreed to play the role, which was giving the filmmaker sleepless nights.

According to the grapevine, the role had been offered to many actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol.

All of who said, "Thanks, but no thanks" to this role. The problem apparently being that it was the role of Rani's second husband.

And no one wanted to play second fiddle to the first husband — Salman Khan. Some of these actors stated date problems as an excuse for not doing this role.

When John was approached for the role, he had no reservations. "Ravi approached me for the role and I think it's a fantastic part," says Abraham.

John will be seen as the guy who the father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan, finds as the other husband for his widowed daughter-in-law Rani Mukerji.

Babul is all about widow remarriage where, unlike conventional in-laws, Bachchan and Hema Malini are keen to get their widowed daughter-in-law remarried and settled.

According to the buzz, Salman's role is akin to Aishwarya Rai's in Mohabbatein.

Unlike Baghban, where Salman played Amitabh and Hema's adopted son, in Babul he is their birth son who marries Rani Mukherji. His character dies before the interval. Post-interval, he appears in flashbacks a la Ash in Mohabbatein.

John is confident about the role, even though it was turned down by all his contemporaries. Just like Rani, when she took on Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, a role which every actress in the industry had turned down. Ironically, even this role didn't come to Rani directly.

Chopra reportedly approached Kajol and Preity Zinta. Kajol had been virtually finalised but somehow her inclusion did not materialise.

Perhaps, Rani and John were destined to do this film. If all goes well, this will be the first time they will be seen together.