Karan Malhotra to direct Warrior with Akshay Kumar and Sidharth M

Reports that Karan Johar, the long-standing Shah Rukh Khan loyalist has signed Shah Rukh Khan's bete noire and arch-rival Salman Khan to star in Shuddhi, a film that Karan Johar's Dharma Productions has been trying to put together for the last one year, are premature if not entirely false.

According to informed sources Agneepath director Karan Malhotra has, for now, moved on to another project.

Malhotra will be directing the Hindi version of Gavin O'Conner's 2011 boxing drama Warrior which starred Tom Hardy and Edward Edgerton as two brothers at loggerheads.

The original film's producers Lionsgate will partner With Endemol India for this project.

While Sidharth Malhotra will play Tom Hardy's role, Akshay Kumar has been roped in to play Edward Edgerton's character of a cornered ex-pugilist who must return to the ring one more time.

Says the source, "Since the two heroes are required to practice mixed martial arts Akshay and Sidharth are ideal for the parts. They both practice martial arts in real life."

As for rumours of Salman doing Shuddhi for Karan Malhotra the informed source says, "Karan Johar has offered Shuddhi to Salman. But Salman has not yet agreed to do the film."