Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network

The media is agog with excitement about one of the most interesting projects of the year, where Aishwarya Rai is going to play Mumtaz Mahal to the on-screen Mahatma Gandhi, Sir Ben Kingsley, who will essay the role of Emperor Shah Jahan (for his home production). The project is to be shot and completed in the year 2008, on locations in and around the Taj City, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. Here are the exclusive details of the project.

As per our Agra based sources, a team of experts has already inspected/short listed the locations where the shooting is to be held. They have decided that a major part of the film is to be shot in that portion of the Agra Fort, where Aurangzeb imprisoned his father, Shah Jahan, and from where the Emperor used to stare endlessly at his monument of love (for his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal), Taj Mahal.

Another interesting development is that the dusky Bengal beauty and Bollywood actress, Bipasha Basu is also going to essay an important role in the film, that of Shajahan's eldest daughter Jahan Ara Begum, who looked after her father during his imprisonment. In fact, she was the only one who was allowed to visit him.

An important thing to note is that though Sir Ben Kingsley has already spoken to Aishwarya Bachchan about the project, during the shooting of THE LAST LEGION, a formal confirmation is still awaited from the Bachchans about the same.