Rumours were abuzz that Ash will shake a leg to her sasur ji Amitabh Bachchan’s famous 1981 Laawaris number ‘Apni To Jaise Taise’ in Nadiawala’s ‘Houseful’. But the floating rumours have been put to rest by sources that claim that Ash has still not okayed the part. A source close to Ash said, “Aishwarya has been approached by Sajid Khan but she has yet to revert back to them. She is busy with the shooting of ‘Guzaarish’, ‘Action Replay’ and ‘Endhiran’.

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala is said to have bought the rights of the song already.

If Ash nods her head in agreement then this would be her third item number after ‘Ishq Kamina’ with Shah Rukh Khan and ‘Kajra Re’ with hubby Abhishek and Father-in-law Amitabh.

When it comes to the Bachchans, it all runs in the family.

The news is that Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan will do an item number in comedian-turned-director Sajid Khan’s upcoming multistarrer, Housefull.

The song to which Ash will be gyrating is said to be dad-in-law Amitabh Bachchan’s hit number, Apni toh jaise taise, from his 1981 hit Laawaris.

The film’s producer, Sajid Nadiadwala, has bought the rights of the song, though Sajid Khan is mum. “I am neither confirming nor denying the news. We will make an announcement at the right time,” says Khan.

Of late, the Bachchans have been going out of their way to push the prospects of each other. Last week, when Abhishek Bachchan made his debut as a TV show host–Bingo on Colors channel–Big B was his first guest.

Obviously, Abhishek needs all the push.

Ash had also recently played the dutiful wife by getting emotional about how Abhi would make a great father in real life. Ash’s comment came as Paa, the Bachchan home-production, was about to be released.

“Everybody has been asking me if Abhi would be a good paa. He is very real and rooted and a great human being, which I can absolutely relate to,” she had said.

Coming back to the item number, the buzz is that Ash has allotted four days for the shooting. The song is expected to be shot on a grand scale with over 500 extras. She will shoot the number after wrapping up a portion of her upcoming film, Vipul Shah’s Action Replay, with Akshay Kumar.

Kareena Kapoor was reportedly approached for the song but she had no dates. This will be Ash’s third item number after Ishq kameena in Shakti and Kajra re in Bunty Aur Babli.

Ash also has many films opposite Abhi.

They are busy wrapping up Mani Ratnam’s Raavan, and gearing up for Rajeev Menon’s Dhun, which is said to be a remake of Amitabh-Jaya Bachchan starrer, Abhimaan.

Abhishek, on his part, never misses an opportunity to praise his paa or wife. “Who can ever forget sharing the screen space with Mr Amitabh Bachchan?” he said on Bingo, while recalling his first day of shoot for Sarkar, their first film together. Abhishek has also aggressively tweeted about how Big B donated his winnings on Bingo to charity.

Take it easy, Abhi

Abhishek has also been tweeting about how India doesn’t deserve a talent such as Amitabh Bachchan, after watching Rann. “We don’t deserve a talent like Mr Amitabh Bachchan. (I) Don’t think we can make movies to fit his talent,” were his exact words.

In a country like India that has produced luminaries from Satyajit Ray to A. R. Rahman, many movie buffs find Abhishek’s claim a little too stretched.

A fan shot back on Abhishek’s Twitter page. “It’s really lame to praise your own family in media, especially to this extent. You should let people praise him!” the fan said.

Abhishek has actually sparked off a debate on the issue–that India doesn’t deserve Big B–on Twitter. “Would love to hear everyone’s opinion on that,” he has tweeted. “My opinion? Well, its (sic) my Twitter page, so I have the freedom to write whatever I want and praise whoever I want. Don’t like it? Don’t read it,” Abhishek adds smugly.

Sajid Khan is on cloud nine ever since Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has agreed to do an item number for his upcoming film, Houseful that stars Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone. Ash has already allotted four days for the shooting of the item song.
A source said, “Sajid Nadiadwala and Sajid Khan spoke to Ash about the song, which will be the promotional track of the film. It however, remains to be seen if the song will be a part of the film or will it be just a promotional song. All the actors of the film Akshay, Deepika, Arjun, Ritesh, Jiah, Lara will be part of the song and it will be shot in a grand scale with over 500 extras and about 200 dancers on a huge set which will be installed at Filmcity. Ash will shoot for the song after she finishes her schedule for Action Replay.”

Sajid had first approached Kareena for the song. But the actress who was busy shooting for the remake of Hollywood film Step Mom. She had no free dates, added the source. This song will be Aishwarya’s third item song after Ishq Kamina (Shakti) and Kajrare (Bunty Aur Babli)

The lukewarm response to her recent Hollywood release Pink Panther-II has had Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (35) conceding her position as the most popular face of Bollywood.

In the West to the new international craze 24-year-old Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), who according to reliable sources has been signed for two films — one with Woody Allen and the second with Julian Schnabel.

Freida, who is said to have earned over two million pounds, overtaking Bollywood beauties like Aishwarya, Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif is also, according to a world film distributor, being wooed to walk the red carpet at Cannes in May 2009.

On the Bollywood front, Kareena Kapoor (28) has nudged Aishwarya Rai Bachchan out of the Filmfare Top-10 Power list.

But a producer from Chennai confirms that Ash is still the highest paid Indian heroine and has reportedly been paid a fee of Rs six crore for Shankar’s Robot, where she is cast opposite Rajnikant.

The actor is said to have received a cheque of Rs one crore as signing amount, that is also a first. Usually it is only the leading men who receive such a big sum as a signing amount. Reportedly, Rajnikant himself is said to come with a price tag of Rs 25 crore for the same film. He will also get a share in the profits since Robot will be released in Hindi and Tamil.

The Tamil superstar will be on top of the heap even as far as Bollywood heroes’ prices go. Regarding Aishwarya’s price, her manager Hari Singh said, “Aishwarya is definitely one of the highly paid actors in the country, but I would not like to comment on the price she has been paid.” Singh also said that exaggerated prices often made the rounds.

Closer home, Kareena Kapoor has reportedly been paid Rs 2.5 crore for Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kambakkht Ishq. Nadiadwala refuses to comment on his heroine’s price but says, “She has been paid what she deserves.”

According to him, with film corporations in the fray, there is more transparency involved and people can actually check prices. “But that is a whole load of hogwash,” says a trade consultant. “Bollywood still continues to be ambiguous with its payments. What is shown on paper is not necessarily the right price.”

Katrina Kaif is said to have been paid Rs 2 crore for Ramesh Taurani’s Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Priyanka Chopra Rs 2 crore for Vishaal Bharadwaj’s Kaminaay. Of the leading men, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar have last been paid Rs 21 crore for Ghajini and Singh is Kinng, plus a reported share in the profits.

Shah Rukh Khan is said to have had a share in profits for Aditya Chopra’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and he is a partner on Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan, as Johar himself was quoted saying, “It is difficult to put a price tag on SRK.”