MUMBAI: Director R Balki has put his next Bachchan project on hold. After he saw the rushes of Bbuddah, he realized he has to take the mega-star’s image many notches above what has been done in Bbuddah.

A source tells Businessofcinema.com, “Balki made the Big B play a bachcha in Paa. Now he wanted to go to the other extreme and make him play a man who refuses to act his age. Balki has gone back to the storyboard for an all-new definition of the Big B’s stardom. He is very clear about what he wants to do. Take the Big B’s screen persona to a new level as he had done in Cheeni Kam and Paa. Resultantly Balki’s film with Bachchan that was supposed to go on the floors by year-end has now been postponed to next year.”

Speaking on his next film, Balki says, “At the moment I am absolutely blank about what to do with Amitji next. After what Puri has done with him, I need to brace myself and start thinking from scratch. Hats off to Puri for thinking of such a brilliant vehicle to accommodate Amitji’s image.”

So impressed is Balki by the Big B in Bbuddah that he has cut four trailers of the film on his own behest without the Bbuddah director Jagannath Puri’s knowledge.

Says Balki, “I don’t know how that got out. I wanted it to be very quiet. I don’t want the focus to be shifted from Bbuddah at all. Yes I’ve shot four trailers of Bbuddah on my own. I just felt so overwhelmed by the concept that I decided I had to express my own take on what the film means.”

His own film is now on hold.

Says Balki, “Now I’ll wait for my wife (Gauri Shinde) to finish her film with Sridevi. By then I should have a clearer picture of what I want to do with Amitji next.”