Who could be Gowariker's Buddha?

Now Ashutosh Gowariker has announced a worldwide hunt for a fresh face for his new Buddha movie, an epic tale of young prince Siddhartha who went on to be Gautama Buddha.

And even if Ashu says he wants someone brand new and has launched an online hunt for the same go try your hand, dear reader, if you feel suitably wise-looking, we couldn't help wondering which current Bollywood actor he could have chosen for the part.

So here are a few casting suggestions for the master filmmaker, delivered with a wink:

Hrithik Roshan

He's calm, collected and, now that we've seen him doused in facial shrubbery, even kinda Messiah-like, even if it's the other religion. There seems to be an unhurried air about Hrithik unlike most of today's frantically working movie stars.

He picks his projects, and has gotten along very well with Gowarikar in the past, and his histrionic skills surely include the ability to sit quietly under a tree.

Everyone seems to like Soman, but clearly dialogue has proven to be quite an impediment for the man whenever he's stepped on screen, be it as a committed lawyer or a television spaceman.

Widely considered one of the most attractive men in the country, this role would suit him nicely, letting him pipe down and look contemplative.

There is a certain air of zen -- or Zoolander, if you will -- about Soman, and if Gowarikar can tap into this immaculate blankness well, everything fits.

You're forgiven for seeming nonplussed by this one. What on earth, you ask, can the industry's resident bad boy have in common with the most peaceful human in history?

The answer, as Sallu fans already know, is shirtlessness. There might not be much else, but if Ashu slaps a shot of a bare-chested and beefy Salman-Buddha on a poster, it might be marketable enough for Sajid Nadiadwala to produce it.

Hello, is that Akshay Kumar in a cameo as Vajrapani, the protector?

Frequently losing and gaining weight for directors like Mani Ratnam, we'd expect Abhi Jr to extend the same hospitability towards his latest Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se director.

From the Buddha's ascetic days of self-starvation to those of the enlightened sermon giver, Abhi could do it all, looking appropriately wistful and world-weary as he thinks back on those few times he actually did get good reviews.

It's a bit of an odd choice, but considering the fact that Gowariker's films never really end where they should, perhaps this should be a freewheeling, abstract ride that takes us to that embodiment of the Buddha that is most popular in Orientally-themed gift shops -- that of the Laughing Buddha.

Kaushik, who hasn't lost an ounce of jollity since his Calendar days, can clearly still shake that belly like a bowlful of jelly.

Ah, just imagine the beanie baby merchandising possibilities.