After Ittefaq (2017), Judwaa 2 (2017), looks like the latest remake to join the bandwagon is Kamal Haasan’s Hey Ram (2000). Shah Rukh Khan, who played a crucial character in the film, has bought the rights of the film from Haasan, who, apart from playing the main lead, was the film’s co-producer and the director.
Haasan confirmed the development during an interview with Mumbai Mirror, a tabloid.
"Khan only got a wristwatch for acting in my film at the time because by the end of it, I had nothing left in hand. Now, he is the brand ambassador for a watch brand. I am glad that he got the Hindi rights of Hey Ram from Bharat bhai (co-producer Bharat Shah). He should have some memory of the film as he gave his friendship and service for it,” Haasan said.
The veteran actor and Khan were a part of the round table conference with Hollywood director Christopher Nolan this weekend at the 'Reframing the Future of Film' event, organised by Film Heritage Foundation, in Mumbai. Perhaps, the artistes struck a deal when they met at the event.
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Hey Ram, made in Tamil and Hindi languages, narrated the story of Saket Ram (Haasan) whose wife (Rani Mukerji) is raped and murdered in communal riots during the 1940s. Ram holds MK Gandhi (Naseeruddin Shah) responsible for the riots and decides to take up the task of murdering him. However, he has a change of heart and becomes a follower. Khan played a friend and fellow archaeologist, Amjad Ali Khan, to Haasan's Ram.
The film was actor Atul Kulkarni's Hindi debut, and also featured Hema Malini, Om Puri, Vasundhara Das, Vikram Gokhale, Girish Karnad and Saurabh Shukla in supporting roles.