Akshay Kumar in Shirish Kunder's Joker

According to Rohini Bhandari from Business Of Cinema, director Shirish Kunder has signed up Akshay Kumar for the lead role in Joker, which is his next directorial venture after Jaan-e-Mann.

"I plan to take the film on floors by early 2009 and release it that year itself. The film requires immense pre-production work, which is happening alongside," Kunder said.

While earlier Shah Rukh Khan was to act in the film and produce it as well, now Kunder will be producing the film under his production house - Shirish Kunder Film Company.