By Jilawatan

The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has bagged another project titled “Devi Chaudhurani” with National Award winning director Rituparno Ghosh.

The two have earlier worked together in films like Chokher Bali and Raincoat. Devi Chaudhurani is a novel penned down in 1884 by renowned writer Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

The film adaptation of this novel is one of Suchitra Sen’s most cherished works. A source stated “Aishwarya has asked for the DVDs of Suchitra Sen’s film, which is about how a typical affluent housewife turns into the leader of a pack of dacoits.”

The source said further, “The film will be an adaptation of the novel which is set during the 1880s but nevertheless, Ash wanted to do some research on the actor.”

By Jilawatan

Actress Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan is apparently doing her bit of research on the reclusive Bengali cinema diva Suchitra Sen as she is touted to step into her shoes soon. Ash, who has already worked with National Award-winning director Rituparno Ghosh twice (Chokher Bali and Raincoat), will be seen playing a bandit queen in the adapted film version of Devi Chaudhurani.

Devi Chaudhurani is a novel by Bengali writer Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1884 and is regarded as one of the most popular novels of its times. The film’s adaptation is also regarded as one of Sen’s most appreciated works.

“Aishwarya has asked for the DVDs of Suchitra Sen’s film which is about how a typical affluent housewife turns into the leader of a pack of dacoits. The film will be an adaptation of the novel which is set during the 1880s but nevertheless, Ash wanted to do some research on the actor,” says a source.

By Jilawatan

I haven’t spoken with Rituda recently, the last was during the National Awards,” says Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. She however confirms that the she’s discussed a screen adaptation of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s famous Bengali novel, Devi Chaudhurani, with the director with whom she had earlier collaborated on Chokher Bali, adapted from Rabindranath Tagore’s Binodini, and Raincoat, inspired by a short story by O Henry.

Devi Chaudhurani was first published in 1884 and later translated into English by Subodh Chunder Mitter. It chronicled the revolutionary charge by a woman at a time when most were still behind purdah (veil). Threatened by Devi Chaudhurani’s patriotic fervour that brought more women out on the streets, the British banned the book. The ban was lifted only post-Independence.

Rituparno had reportedly approached Aishwarya for the Hindi-Bengali bilingual when they were filming Chokher Bali and got a nod from her when she was in Kolkata last year to accept a Best Actress award for Raavan.

By Jilawatan

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is the perfect combination of beauty and brains. So, it didn’t surprise many when the ace filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh roped the Bollywood beauty queen in his films Chokher Bali and Raincoat which are the screen versions of the literary works of the doyens Rabindranath Tagore and O Henry respectively. Now, Rituparno is all set to sign her for his new film which is based on the book ‘Devi Chaudhurani’ by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

Aishwarya has been reportedly approached by Rituparno Ghosh during her visit to Kolkata along with her husband Abhishek Bachchan. While details of the project is yet to be confirmed, this one is surely a big deal for Aishwarya Rai who has had a mixed year so far.

By Jilawatan

Aishwarya Rai looks beautiful-sans make up or with it, she is a thorough professional and committed to her role. These complements are coming her way in the wake of recent reports that the Bachchan bahu had an argument with Mani Ratnam on the sets of Ravana.

The reason was that she kept applying make up while her character is supposed to don a no make up look in the film and Ratnam found this unprofessional. However, filmmakers who have worked with her say that she is a thorough professional.

Subhash Ghai, who worked with her in Taal, says that he “still gives her example to young actresses”. “She is intelligent, sincere and dedicated even to details. She is the director’s perfect actor,” Ghai adds. Director’s delight This is Ash’s third film with Ratnam and most directors she has worked with have repeated her, including Sanjay Leela bhansali and Rajiv Menon.

By Jilawatan

After getting fabulous performances out of Tabu in Maqbool, Kareena Kapoor in Omkara and hopefully, Priyanka Choopra in Kaminey, Vishal Bhardwaj is all set to team up with the one actress he has always wanted to work with.

Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan and Vishal Bhardwaj are finally getting together after many false starts. The project will go into production at the end of the year.

Says Aishwarya, “Vishal and I have wanted to work together ever since he was the music composer on a project that got shelved. We had promised one another that I’d start in his film whenever he turned director.

Right after his directorial debut in the children’s film Makdee Vishal had offered Aishwarya a film called Timbuctoo . That got shelved.