Salman sets up schedule for Sooraj Pancholi: Hero to release on 12 December

Happy days are round the corner for the beleaguered star-son Sooraj Pancholi whose ambitions were thwarted in 2013 by the alleged suicide of his girlfriend Jiah Khan. After a troubled year which included a traumatic period of incarceration it looks like a bright sunny year 2014 for Sooraj. Not only has Salman Khan decided to open his own production house Salman Khan Productions with a remake of Subhash Ghai musical blockbuster Hero, the mega-star has also decided on the date of release for Sooraj’s debut. Says a source close to the project, “Hero will start shooting on 18 February. It will release on 12 December. Those are the dates Salman has locked in on.” Nikhil Advani who has been selected by Salman to direct the Hero remake is working feverishly on the script. Says a source, “Nikhil has completely re-written Ghai’s Hero. The plot is a different animal now. The characters are different. The hero Kishen (originally played by Jackie Shroff) is more aggressive and urban. And Salman wants the action to be far more stylized.” Incidentally Jackie Shroff may make a guest appearance in the Hero remake. Says Sooraj’s father Aditya Pancholi, “My boy couldn’t have hoped for a better debut. Salman and his team have taken full charge of Sooraj. Zarina and I have left Sooraj entirely in their hands.” According to Aditya, the Sooraj-Aathiya Shetty pair crackles with chemistry. “I’ve known Suneil (Shetty) and his family for years. They are like family to me. Aathiya is as good as my own daughter. Sooraj and Aathiya have been doing a lot of acting workshops together. They look sensational together. I promise you, they will rip the screen apart.”