'Khamoshi' to be remade in Hollywood with Jennifer Aniston

By Subhash K. Jha, Mumbai, Aug 10 : Director Asit Sen's 1969 classic 'Khamoshi' is being remade in Hollywood by Los Angeles-based restaurateur Sanjay Patel who has roped in Jennifer Aniston to essay Waheeda Rehman's role.

Patel will produce the crossover endeavour of the psycho-drama and claims he has already spoken to Aniston.

"Aniston is a regular at my restaurant and I have spoken to her about doing Waheeda Rehman's role in 'Khamoshi'. Now she wants me to give her the full script which we're working on," Patel told IANS on phone from Los Angeles.

Apparently when Aniston heard the idea of the healer getting sick in 'Khamoshi', she had tears in her eyes.

"She was very moved," said Patel who says he'll spare no expenses to make sure that his version of 'Khamoshi' reaches a global audience.

The complex 1969 movie is about a nurse, played by Waheed Rehman, in a mental asylum who falls in love with a patient and loses her mental balance when she doesn't get her quota of emotional succour in life.

To be titled "Silence", this version of "Khamoshi" will be in the English language. Apart from Aniston, two major Hollywood actors will play the roles that Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra immortalized.

Names like Brad Pitt and Keanu Reeeves are being considered for the male leads.

"I've been a major film buff from childhood," said Patel. "For some reason 'Khamoshi' has stayed with me. I've watched it repeatedly. It's a story that can never grow old."

Though Patel intends to stick to the basic plot line, he will incorporate many changes in the Hollywod version of "Khamoshi".

"For example, Dhamendra's role in the original (of the nurse's first patient) was very sketchy in 'Khamoshi'. His face wasn't even shown in any frame. We'll flesh out that character in 'Silence' and offer it to a top Hollywood actor."

So will Aniston and her co-stars sing the romantic numbers like "Humne dekhi hai un aankhon ki mehekti khushboo", "Woh shaam kuch ajeeb thi", which were penned by Gulzar?

"I don't think so. My 'Khamoshi' isn't a musical. Sanjay Leela Bhansali did 'Khamoshi - The Musical'," ended Patel cheekily.