Ramayana was planned with Hrithik Roshan and Amitabh Bachchan much before Ranbir Kapoor-Yash's flick!

The first glimpses of Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming magnum opus Ramayana with Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sunny Deol and Sai Pallavi have captivated all. Fans can't stop gushing over Ranbir and Yash's initial glance in the cinematic adaptation of the Indian epic, which is evident from the flooding social media posts. Cinephiles have pinned high hopes on Tiwari's Ramayana after disappointment with Om Raut's Adipurush, starring Prabhas in the lead. But, did you know that much before Tiwari's Ramayana and Raut's Adipurush, a cinematic adaptation of the Indian epic was planned with Hrithik Roshan as Lord Rama and Amitabh Bachchan as King Dashratha?

Ramayana with Hrithik and Amitabh Bachchan?

In 2008, filmmaker and actor Sanjay Khan had envisioned a modern adaptation of Ramayana with a budget of Rs 50 crore. Khan, known for successfully directing mythological and historical TV series like Jai Hanuman, Jai Mahabharat and The Sword of Tipu Sultan, was deeply passionate about making Ramayana for the big screen.

According to a 2008 report by Mumbai Mirror, Khan's dream project was titled The Legend of Rama. It was to be co-scripted by Khan himself and UK-based author Farrukh Dhondy. Notably, the proposed cast included his then son-in-law Hrithik Roshan as Lord Rama, Amitabh Bachchan as King Dashratha and his son Zayed Khan as Lakshman.

During the interview with Mumbai Mirror, Zayed Khan confirmed the project and said, "Yes, my father is indeed making the Ramayana. It's called 'The Legend of Rama'. He has been planning this film for the last three years."

The Main Hoon Na actor also said that his father has been looking for a perfect actor to essay Lord Rama.

"And, who but Hrithik could be the perfect choice for the role," he added.

As the UK-based author Farrukh shared, the plans were to make Ramayana in a modern format, in The Lord of The Rings style. The author also confirmed that the script was ready and the screenplay had the motion, motivation and movement of a Shakespeare play. He also added that Hrithik and Zayed were perfect to play Lord Rama and Lakshman, respectively.

However, the project was ultimately shelved despite the mega vision and planning. The movie never made it to production.