Happy days are around the corner for the beleaguered star-son Sooraj Pancholi whose ambitions were thwarted in 2013 by the alleged suicide of his girlfriend Jiah Khan.

After a troubled year which included a traumatic period of incarceration it looks like a bright sunny year 2014 for Sooraj. Not only has Salman Khan decided to open his own production house Salman Khan Productions with a remake of Subhash Ghai musical blockbuster Hero, the mega-star has also decided on date of release for Sooraj's debut.

Says a source close to the project, `Hero will start shooting on 18 February. It will release on 12 December. Those are the dates Salman has locked in on.`

Nikhil Advani who has been selected by Salman to direct the Hero remake is working feverishly on the script.

Says a source, `Nikhil has completely re-written Ghai's Hero. The plot is a different animal now. The characters are different. The hero Kishen(originally played by Jackie Shroff) is more aggressive and urban.And Salman wants the action to be far more stylized.`


Incidentally Jackie Shroff may make a guest appearance in the Hero remake.

Says Sooraj's father Aditya Pancholi, `My boy couldn't have hoped for a better debut. Salman and his team have taken full charge of Sooraj. Zarina and I have left Sooraj entirely in their hands.`

According to Aditya , the Sooraj-Aathiya Shetty pair crackles with chemistry. `I've known Suneil and his family for years. They are like family to me. Aathiya is as good as my own daughter .Sooraj and Aathiya have been doing a lot of acting workshops together. They look sensational together.I promise you, they will rip the screen apart.`