Sanjay Dutt to romance Bipasha Basu

Bollywood actors Sanjay Dutt and Bipasha Basu will star in the Hindi version of an upcoming Bengali wildlife thriller film.

With the veteran Nitish Roy as director, Gehra Paani will have Dutt play a mad scientist who creates a genetically evolved crocodile with individual intelligence but becomes a target of a gang of hunters wanting to capture the unique reptile for their lucrative business.

The film's first-time producer Avik Bagchi, who runs the diversified Prayag Group, told PTI that the Bollywood duo are expected to shoot at a film city in the Maoist-infested Jungelmahal area of West Midnapore district, where a giant 100 foot long crocodile has been created using pyrotechnics and CGI.

This will be the first venture from Tollywood where such advanced digital technology and special effects have been used. The crocodile is a lovable one and is blessed with intelligence just like dolphins.

The unconventional take on the reptile is an attempt to challenge the crocodile's image of a stealthy cold-blooded predator and create awareness about the conservation of our wildlife habitat, Bagchi said.

In Bengali, the film will be known as Jole Jongole where Mithun Chakraborty plays the lead along with Ashish Vidyarthi and Tinnu Anand.