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Word going around studio corridors and the offices of Bollywood bigshots is that an A-lister's next project may be in hot water. The actor, who recently suffered a crippling blow after the abysmal box-office washout of his latest film, had agreed to star in the remake of a popular Hollywood hit from the 80s, but industry insiders are saying the film could be in trouble.

For one, the film's strictly mediocre director, who will turn producer with this project, is demanding a Rs 150-crore budget that multiple studios have reportedly balked at. He also wants to be paid an astronomical directing fee, and refuses to cough up any investment from his end despite insisting on 'producer' credit and complete control of production.

The cold reception that his leading man's latest film received has only added to the tensions of prospective financiers, making it hard for them to justify bankrolling a project of this scale at this juncture. At least two studios and one moneybags producer are believed to have passed, and others have apparently asked for the costs to be considerably trimmed before they can consider funding the action film.

One actor familiar with the script reveals that he doesn't think the original film lends itself organically to a Hindi remake. While the slick American film went on to become a breakout hit and launched the career of one of Hollywood's biggest stars and heartthrobs, the actor says the subject and the setting can't easily be transposed to an Indian landscape.