Sources said he had approached Salman Khan to play a dwarf in the film. However, after initially agreeing to do the role, the actor has now apparently done a volte face.
A source close to the project says, "He is not too happy that details about his role have already been reported in the media. He wanted it to be a secret till the film released. So he decided to back out of the project."
Rai was not available to comment on Salman's alleged U-turn.
Like his earlier films, Rai's new film is said to be a love story set in a small town. This time round, the filmmaker has roped in Hollywood VFX expert George Murphy for the project. Murphy is credited with the special effects of 'Forest Gump', 'Matrix Reloaded', 'Jurassic Park' and 'King Kong'.