MUMBAI: Come 8 May and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Chenab Gandhi will go on floors.

The movie, being made on a budget of Rs 350 million (Rs 35 crores), is a co-production between Bhansali’s SLB Films and Saregama India.

It may be recalled that Businessofcinema.com had earlier reported that the movie shooting may be postponed to year end. However, sources say that in all probability the movie will now go on floors in May and arrangements are being made for the same.

Chenab Gandhi is a period film and will shot partly in Mumbai and North India.The film will be shot in three schedules and the first schedule will be shot in Mumbai’s Film City from 8 May.

Bhansali’s close associate tells Businessofcinema.com, "Chenab Gandhi will be directed by Vibhu Puri, who has been Bhansali’s associate on many films. Amitabh Bachchan, John Abraham and Vidya Balan star in this film. Earlier Hurman Baweja was supposed to be a part of the cast but his dates for Chenab Gandhi were clashing with his other film What’s Your Rashee? and hence John was roped in."

This will be the first film from the Bhansali production house that will not be directed by Bhansali. The close associate concluded, "Vibhu Puri has been working for many years with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and he has certainly picked up all the nuances that make a Bhansali film so lavish and exotic. Chenab Gandhi will certainly have all the qualities that Bhansali believes in."