Looks like the rivalry between Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Salman Khan could have reached an all-new level, with buzz about the director landing the remake rights of South hit Kanchana.
There had been buzz a while ago that Salman was interested in acquiring the project, which would have been helmed by his brother Sohail. Ultimately though nothing turned out, apparently because of moolah matters. Sources say the makers of the South movie wanted a whopping amount of R 2. 5 crore just to hand over the remake rights.
Though Bhansali had directed Salman in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, the actor and the filmmaker had a bitter parting after Sallu apparently made some vitriolic comments about the SLB's Guzaarish. Bhansali is now said to be on the lookout for an actor for the project.
A source says, `There has been a lot of rumours about Kanchana's remake. At the time when Salman was said to acquire the film, he was supposed to play the lead role in the film. Later, it was said that Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt were also in race.
Other filmmakers too seemed interested in the South hit. For Guzaarish too, it was Sallu who was to act in the film initially. But SLB later chose Hrithik Roshan over him and even cast Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. `
With the two not on speaking terms ever since, SLB bagging the project could make things between the friends-turned-foes a tad worse.
The source says, `Sallu and SLB's enmity is not new and this development seems to have taken their acrimony to a whole new level. `
Bhansali remained unavailable for comment.