Sequels, and then some more. That’s what Subhash Ghai is thinking of these days. Almost 27 years after Taal (1999) became a smash hit at the box office, the filmmaker revealed to mid-day that he is crafting its sequel.

Starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Akshaye Khanna, and Anil Kapoor, the popular musical told the story of a talented village singer who rises to stardom after being heartbroken. So, will the sequel take the story forward? “We cannot have the same actors of Taal today as they are older. So, an extension of the original story is out. But it will be a musical love story. I want fresh faces to play the lead roles,” he said.

A still from ‘Taal’. Pics/youtube, Instagram

Those hoping to see Rai in a cameo, at least, are in for disappointment. The filmmaker said, “Mukta Arts has never had these gimmicks of having stars as cameos in their movies. So, Akshaye, Aishwarya, and Anil will not be there in Taal 2. If we require star power, we can request anyone, but the character needs to be justified.”

Ghai has been writing the love story over the past few years. Even as he has developed its world, he is certain of not directing it. He stated, “I’d like to have a well-known director to helm it. We plan to announce Taal 2 by October.”

Last week, Sanjay Dutt announced ‘Khalnayak Returns’, the sequel to his 1993 hit, ‘Khal Nayak’. Subhash Ghai, who helmed the original, will serve as the creative producer.

That isn’t the only sequel Ghai is considering. He is also developing the second part to his all-star action drama, Karma (1986). “The time has come when people want to see a story’s sequel. Like in Karma, what happened to Dr Dang or Baiju [Anupam Kher and Jackie Shroff’s characters respectively]? Karma 2 is next in the pipeline.”

Did you know?

Filmmaker Danny Boyle saw Anil Kapoor’s performance in ‘Taal’ and offered him ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. Interestingly, Kapoor’s role in the musical was first offered to Govinda