In an exclusive, Gowariker announced that his next film to go the floors early next year will be called Swades ("Please, not Swadesh," he insists). Swades will be a very topical contemporary subject tackling a burning issue in the drama format.
Belying all expectations and predictions, Gowariker has not teamed up with Aamir Khan. The leading man chosen to star in Swades is Shah Rukh Khan.
It may be recalled that Shah Rukh Khan was offered Lagaan in its inceptive stages. Khan has since gone on record to say he was "stupid" to turn down Lagaan. The Gowariker-Shah Rukh Khan team is bound to send ripples across the ailing film industry.
Gowariker says, "I will produce Swades myself."