Akshaye Khanna in Farhan Akhtar's Voice From The Sky

Farhan Akhtar has finally found the leading man for his next, Voice From The Sky. It's Akshaye Khanna with whom Farhan had teamed up with optimum creative satisfaction in his first directorial venture Dil Chahta Hai.

Saif who has also teamed with Farhan in Dil Chahta Hai and in fact acknowledges the film as a turning point, opted out of Voice From The Skya couple of months ago. Revealing the change in cast Farhan says, "Yes,it is Akshaye Khanna. Naam lock kiya jaye. I'm confident. Both Saif andAkshaye are my buddies. I needed an actor of really good caliber, atthe same time sensitive sophisticated, a guy who seems extremely hardfrom the outside but is soft from the inside. Both Saif and Akshayefitted the bill. Saif didn't work out."

Continues Farhan,"There're many reasons why Akshaye works amazingly for the film.Akshaye is damn excited. He loves his role. And I love him in the role.It'd be great fun working with Akshaye again. Fortunately, all theactors I've worked with so far have been a pleasure."

The main role of a young boy is yet to be cast. "The story belongs tothe boy. But three other characters played by Akshaye Khanna and twowomen (whom I'm yet to cast) play very important roles in the boy'slife. Akshaye's story is integral to the plot. It's an extremelyimportant role. And he's kicked by the script and by the part. Akshayeknows it's a very important part. Otherwise he wouldn't do it."

As for the boy… "We've a short-list of 12-15 boys now. And no, DarsheelSafary was not considered at all. I 'm looking for a totally untriedface." Farhan starts filming Voice From The Sky in November. "Then there's Don 2. Which will have all the actors from the first Don including Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra, of course. The story and screenplay are done. Voice From The Sky was scripted right after Dil Chahta Hai. Don 2 I started writing a few months after Don released. So this year I only have releases as an actor. Next year I'll have two releases as a director."