Karan Johar announces 4 new projects

Here's the official news from Karan Johar's office and as always, it's first on Bollywood Hungama.

Dharma Productions is looking to the future and a change is on the cards. After producing five films in the past decade, including the blockbusters KUCH KUCH HOTA HAIN, KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM, KAL HO NAA HO and KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA, Karan Johar will be stepping out of his comfort zone and charting new territory.

Contemporary stories relevant to our times and targeted at entertaining the evolved cinegoer, debutante directors, CG animation, introduction of new talent [both on and off camera], Dharma Productions is thinking big and have plans to release three films a year from 2009.

Karan Johar will direct his fourth film [yet untitled], to go on floors from October '08. It will star Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. The screenplay is by Shibani Bathija [KANK]. DOSTANA, directed by Tarun Mansukhani, will star Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra and Bobby Deol in a special role. The film is slated for release by the end of '08.

KOOTCHIE KOOTCHIE HOTA HAIN celebrates a decade of Karan Johar's directorial debut KUCH KUCH HOTA HAIN. This animation film will be directed by Tarun Mansukhani and co-produced with Prana Studios, a Los Angeles and Mumbai-based renowned 3D animation studio. KOOTCHIE KOOTCHIE will incorporate the latest innovations in computer graphics and promises to recreate the magic of the original film with the voice of the original cast - Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerjee.

The fourth film, yet untitled, will be directed by Rensil D'Silva and star Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and one more lead actor. This film will go on floors in October '08 too.