As reported by a number of media outlets this week, Ravi Chopra, is getting behind the camera again to make two, three-hour films with special effects he says will rival those produced in Hollywood. Many of us remember the BR Chopra's "The Mahabharat" TV series - one of two great epics of ancient India, and along with Ramanand Sagar's "Ramayan" TV Series became the biggest television hits in Indian broadcasting history.

Some reports suggest that producers Mani Ratnam and Bobby Bedi (Mangal Pandey) were also interested in also releasing big budget projects of the great epic, but it seems Chopra has beat them to it.

Ravi Chopra, who is the son of the veteran Bollywood director BR Chopra and nephew of producer Yash Chopra, said "This is something which I always wanted to do because it's a great epic and was made into a hit serial which international audiences should get to see on the silver screen,"

At the time of the first airing of Chopra family's serial version, Indian streets emptied of people, trains were delayed and people were glued to their TV sets as the weekly one-hour long episodes were aired.

The 94 episode serials had a huge international following among Hindus in countries with sizable communities including the UK, US and Kenya as well as Malaysia and Indonesia with an indigenous culture highly influenced by the Hindu epics.

"The people loved the television serial and now they should also taste the same at the cinema. I will make it a world-class movie but will not digress from the Indian spirit which the Mahabharat has. The film will be made with great special effects like those people saw in The Lord of the Rings."

Mahabharat will become the longest film in Bollywood history but Chopra plans on splitting the film into two segments. It is reported that the film will cost £16 million to produce.

"I will start shooting the film in 2008. I am still finalising the script and then I'll select the cast."

Interestingly, ApunKaChoice news reports that "Big B" Amitabh Bachchan may play Bhishma Pita which Chopra has neither confirmed or denied.