Ali Abbas Zafar to direct 'Mr India' trilogy for Zee Studios

"Sultan" director Ali Abbas Zafar has boarded the reboot of 1987 cult classic "Mr India". Zee Studios on Monday said they have signed Ali for an epic trilogy on "Mr India", based on the iconic characters of the original film, which was then fronted by Anil Kapoor, Sridevi and Amrish Puri. Shekar Kapur directed the original.

The new "Mr India" will be set in a contemporary superhero world. "It is a huge responsibility to carry forward an iconic character that has been loved by Indians for so many years," Ali, who will write and direct the film, said in a statement.

The filmmaker is currently working on the script and building the superhero universe. The studio is hoping to make it into one of the biggest spectacle films to come out of India, the press release said. There have been reports that Shah Rukh Khan and Ranveer Singh are in talks for the film but Ali said it was too early to talk about the cast.

"I have just commenced working on the script, no actor has been locked till now, once the first draft of the script is ready, we will begin the casting process. The film involves massive amounts of pre-production and will go on floor early next year," Ali said. Shariq Patel, CEO, Zee Studios said they are excited to have Ali on board for "Mr. India".

"This not a 'part 2' or a remake of the older film as recently reported in some sections of the media, but a re-imagining of the iconic classic," Patel said.