Although Shantaram is mentioned in the Variety article, I noticed that unlike DS, there was no mention of Johnny starring in Shantaram (nor the other projects that were listed). Of course, I guess we won't know for sure until/unless something is announced, but it's possible that Johnny is no longer interested in starring in the movie, only in producing it. It would certainly be a huge commitment compared with other potential projects, and now Mumbai is not a safe place to be right now. So I still take the article (cautiously) as a good sign with regard to DS.
Crossing fingers...
Cathy