This is as hot as it could get. We informed you about the possible Bollywood remake of the Academy Award winning crime drama – The Departed. The movie which will be directed by Vishal Bharadwaj (Kaminey, Omkara, Maqbool) is expected to commence shooting in March next year. Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra have been confirmed for the film, and now here is the big surprise.

Malayalam super star Mohanlal has been approached by Bharadwaj to play a key role in the movie. Five bucks…we bet that it’s for the role of Captain Oliver Charles Queenan played by Martin Sheen in the Hollywood version. The role suits someone like Lal who brings in the kind of dignified and authoritative stature that the character demands. We intend to be the show-spoiler well in advance of the movie’s shooting. In The Departed, Martin Sheen’s character meets with his death after he is flung off the roof of a building. So Lal may have to gear up for a death scene.

But there is room for hope. There is another possibility. Lal may have been approached for the role of Captain Geroge Ellerby as well (played by Alec Baldwin in the The Departed). He happens to be one of the characters who fails to realize the deception happening around him.

But our movie senses tell us that Lal will pick up the first character since it demands more from him as an actor. Lal was pretty impressed with Vishal Bharadwaj’s story pitching as the acclaimed director met him at Avenue Regency in Kochi. So expect the south star to retain his Bollywood glory which he earned with “Company” and lost with “Aag”. Vishal Bharadwaj's next could very well be Mohanlal's comeback vehicle to Bollywood. With Hrithik Roshan's star power to boot, this project just can't go wrong and will turn out to be a blockbuster that will rock both north and south.

- Sanjoy Alexander is a contributing writer to a leading Indian magazine. He is an avid blogger who blogs on movies, cars and photography at http://reelsandwheels.blogspot.com.    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it