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Sir Ben Kingsley, the actor best known for winning an Oscar for his lead role in the 1982 film ‘Gandhi,’ is pairing up with Bollywood’s highest paid actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for a film titled Taj, reported India.com.
The period drama, about the building of the Taj Mahal, will attempt to capture the great love that lead to the construction of what Kingsley calls ‘this scream of grief, frozen in marble…’
Aishwarya will play Mumtaz Mahal in the film which is being produced by Kingsley’s own production house SBK Pictures. In the past Aishwarya has played Jodha, the wife of Mughal emperor Akbar in Bollywood period flick Jodha Akbar.
Earlier Aishwarya’s husband Abhishek was expected to play the role of Mughul emperor Shah Jehan, but had to back out due to prior commitments. This compelled Kingsley to step into the main role. Kingsley last worked with Aishwarya in the Last Legion which sank without a trace at the box office.
He has travelled to India to attend the IFFI (International Film Festival of India) and is expected to meet with Indian financiers to help fund the film.
In the meantime according to DNA, Kinglsey has started the process of seeking permission to film in and around Taj and at other historical monuments in India.