Gabbar Singh, Hindi cinema's most memorable villain, was carried to the pinnacle of terror and diabolism by Amjad Khan in Ramesh Sippy's "Sholay".

Guess who's playing Gabbar Singh in Ram Gopal Varma's version of "Sholay"? None other than Amitabh Bachchan, who played "Jai" -- one half of the heroic duo that took on the fiendish Gabbar in the original.

The stunning casting coup was finalized by Varma (Ramu to friends) Friday.

AB, who is probably living the most productive year of his film career with four back-to-back hits in 2005, seemed an unlikely candidate for Gabbar.

"But that is the whole beauty of it!" chuckles Ramu. "Why go for the expected? Why not make 'Sholay' into an experience that would make jaws drop? Why not turn 'Jai' into Gabbar Singh? Why not Amitabh Bachchan as the biggest, most larger-than-life villain of Hindi cinema?

"See, when Gabbar Singh was first cast, he was supposed to be the villain in 'Sholay'. But in retrospect, Gabbar Singh became the film's biggest hero. And who is better equipped to play Gabbar today than the largest, biggest and most formidable star of the country?"

According to Ramu, the legendary one-liners that Gabbar mouthed could only be repeated by one actor. "And that is Amitabh Bachchan. I firmly believe that."

Ramu spoke to the mega-star who, after Sanjay Leela Bhansali's epoch-making "Black", is thirsting for challenges.

He laughs while recounting his conversation with the Big B. "At first he was taken aback. 'Me as Gabbar Singh?' Then the challenge of it sank in. I explained to him what my take on Gabbar would be, and how I intend to project the character in my film. Now he is as excited as I am."

This will not be the first time AB is venturing into the dark side. Way back in "Parwana" he played a desperate lover who shoots down the father of the girl he loves.

More recently, he played diabolic characters in "Aks" and "Aankhen". Even the roles in "Deewaar" and "Agneepath" had shades of grey.

But Amitabh Bachchan as Gabbar Singh? That one is worth waiting for!