MUMBAI: At this rate, Sahara Manoranjan should be having all the Hindi film stars moonlighting as television actors.

Close on the heels of Bollywood stars Karisma Kapoor, Sridevi, Raveena and Mahima Chaudhary, Sunny Deol has signed a three-film contract with Sahara.

The time-frame for making the films is two years. Sahara meanwhile has an innovative plan for its debut screening. It is planning to schedule the movie releases, first on the channel followed by a theatre release.

Confirming the move, Sahara creative director Akashdeep Sabeer said to indiantelevision.com, "The theme of the films is likely to be patriotic or whatever Deol chooses it to be."

According to Sabeer, they are already in process of hearing scripts from Ken Ghosh (Ishq Vishk director), Manishankar (16 December director) and Armaan fame Honey Irani along with few others. Deol is also meeting and interacting with the directors.

Deol apparently plays a vital role in zeroing on the project. Sabeer also offered that the talks should materialise soon.

Looking at the television scenario, telefilm is unlikely to be a workable proposition, but Deol definitely has a mass appeal. What remains to be seen is whether after a television premier the movie manages to pull crowds in theater too.