Aishwarya Rai to play Rani Laxmibai

It was few days back Ketan Mehta decides to revive Rani Laxmibai.He decided to do so after Sushmita Sen’s film based on the same subject has been shelved. Aishwarya Rai might play the title role in Ketan’s film.

Ketan had initially started working on the period film, which was based on the life and times of the famous Hindu warrior queen of Jhansi, Rani Laxmibai. During the scripting and pre-production stage, Ketan had signed Aishwarya Rai to play the lead role.She was all set to undergo training in horse-riding, sword fighting etc to prepare for the role.

However,when Ketan heard that Sushmita Sen too is making a film on the same subject he started having second thoughts. Eventually, Ketan decided to not make his film.

After Sushmita’s directorial debut based on Rani Laxmibai was shelved, Ketan Mehta wasted no time in grabbing the opportunity to revive his magnum opus based on the same subject.

Ketan Mehta confirmed the news and said, “Yes, I am planning to revive the project.”

Sushmita Sen turns director

Sushmita Sen will soon turn director for her project, Rani Laxmibai in which she plays the main lead also.

She has a very strong reason for going behind the camera.” I have lived with this film for a year-and-a-half. For me to get anybody else to direct this film would mean conflict of interests on the sets because we would be constantly fighting about which visions to fulfill and that’s why I am doing it,” Sushmita said.

Sushmita Sen also plans to essay the title role of Rani Laxmibai in the film and is currently immersed in the pre-production

“The film will be made soon. But right now my primary concern is quite few of them. It is a huge canvas. It is a women-oriented film, which is not necessarily one of the most saleable concept on commercial Indian films term. And it’s a very big film and I don’t want to compromise on it,” she said.

“Having said that, we have finished the screenplay, we are down to storyboarding and once the storyboarding is complete and my seven minutes presentation is ready for my international buyers, that’s when I close the chapter till I am ready with my wishlist, my technicians and the funding,” she added.

Sushmita Sen is also in the limelight for making her small screen debut in the reality show, Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena.