KJo dumps SRK; favors Ranbir

Johar might cast Ranbir Kapoor as the lead in his period drama over close friend Shah Rukh Khan

News has been doing the rounds that Karan Johar has been planning a period drama. And from what we've heard, Ranbir Kapoor, who's a part of Dharma Productions's next, Yeh Jawaani Hain Deewani, will play the lead role in the film. Surprisingly, Karan's close friend Shah Rukh Khan, who is also a perennial feature in his films, isn't likely to star in it.

A source reveals, "Shah Rukh and Karan are very close. But as far as this film goes, there are chances that SRK may not be a part of it. They've been working around the details of the project all this while, but it looks like SRK isn't on board for this project at least."

While SRK may not be a part of the film, there's another Khan who is likely to play the second lead. The source says, "Saif Ali Khan, in all likelihood, will be seen playing the second lead in this period drama. Rather than calling it the second lead, let's term it as a well-fleshed-out cameo. The hero of the film is Ranbir." As for Ranbir's leading lady, the source says, "The film is still in its early stages, so there's still plenty of time to think of who they want to cast."

The source further reveals that Saif's co-star for the film will probably will be his wife, Kareena Kapoor. "Yes, discussions about having Kareena in the movie are on as well. They've all worked together in the past and are very close friends too. Both Saif and Kareena have packed schedules for the next year, but since their roles will be sort of extended cameos, they can manage to get some time out for the film."