The war of will between directors Feroz Khan and Joy Augustine has hotted up to a scorching flashpoint.

Which of the two will get to make the coveted film based on the troubled relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his son Harilal? Playwright Feroz Khan who directed a stage version of the story, first got Yashraj Films and now Anil Kapoor to produce his film.

But director Joy Augustine reacts sharply to the rival’s dream “I’ve nurtured the dream for more than eight years now. No one can take it away from me. If Feroz Khan and Anil insist on making the film, they’ll be in serious legal trouble. I’ve finished the final script of the film.”

Augustine has already got the project together. He intends to make the film in close collaboration with the Gandhi family. “I’m not interest in raking up ugly controversies about Mahatma Gandhi’s family. I’m in constant touch with the surviving members of the family. I was shocked to read Mr Anil Kapoor claiming that he’s in contact with the Gandhi family. Can he specify whom he has contacted? They don’t seem to be aware of his interest in their lives.”

Curbing his annoyance Augustine continues, “I’ve met the Mahatma’s great grandchildren Neelam Parekh and Urmi Behn(Desai). They’re such lovely people. They’re true Gandhians. I also met the lady Bindu Behn who carried Gandhiji’s son Harilal’s body. I’ve got two-and-a-half hours of taped reminiscences from her. Once I met them I abandoned all plans of taking the controversial route in the script. I can’t do any harm to the Gandhi family.”

Feroz Khan’s play focussed on the dark side of the Mahatma’s family life and his troubled relationship with his son Harilal. “My film won’t be about the friction. It’ll be about the sacrifices,” asserts Augustine

The adamant director is determined not to let the Gandhi family down. He has procured the rights of several literary works on the subject. “Even the legal copyrights of the play Mahatma Versus Gandhi are with me now. The makers of the other project are in serious trouble. What they’re doing is nothing but cloning. This is my baby.”

There seems to be some truth in Augustine’s prognosis. Recently the unit of Anil Kapoor and Feroz Khan’s film had to return from their location in South Africa without shooting when theatre actor Dilip Shankar chosen to play Mahatma Gandhi lost his mother back home. Earlier Feroz Khan had signed up with Yashraj Films to make the film.

Recalls Yash Chopra, “Yes, Feroz Khan was supposed to make the film on the relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his son for us. But then the picture began to look very messy…there was a legal notice, etc. We pulled out, although a lot of our money had already gone into the project. Better to lose money than sleep. We like to work in a positive environment. Now I believe Anil Kapoor is producing the film. All the best to him.”

Augustine is in the process of completing his pre-production plans. He’s planning to make the film, titled Mahatma Versus Gandhi in English and Hindi with a completely different star-cast in each. Hollywood actors will play the principal leads in the English version.

Augustine too plans shoot in South Africa for 17 days, then 60 days in various parts of India— Kolkata, Mumbai, Rajkot, Porbunder and Hyderadad. The film’s estimated budget will be 25 million US dollars.

“I’m in the process of executing contracts,” reveals Augustine. Ideally he would like to cast Jaya Bachchan as Kasturba, Naseeruddin Shah as Mahatma Gandhi and Abhishek Bachchan as his son Harilal. Says Augustine, “My script is registered with the US Congress, the Writer’s Guild. I’ve covered all my bases. I believe in certain ethics and I trust the others who are planning to pre-empt me would eventually tap their conscience.”

However informed sources claim that producer Anil Kapoor and director Feroz Khan are determined to go ahead with their project.

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