By Jilawatan

Twenty years back this actor has delivered an Oscar winning performance in the Hindi cinema by playing an ultimate role of our ‘Father of Nation’ Mahatma Gandhi. Now he is getting back in the Indian Film Industry for the flick ‘Taj’ with Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

In his forthcoming segment Ben Kingsley is back to India with his planning to play Mughal emperor Shahjahan with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Mumtaz Mahal in the epic love story ‘Taj’. Kingsley’s actress wife Daniela Barbosa de Carneiro will play Shahjahan’s first wife Kandahari Begum. This film is a tribute to India’s culture and heritage.

In this flick, the 65-year-old actor will portray the role of Shahjahan in the period romance with 34-year-old Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who will play the role of his beloved wife. Kingsley last worked with Aishwarya in ‘The Last Legion’ in 2007.

By Jilawatan

Ben Kingsley, the renowned Hollywood actor who enacted the character of Mahatma Gandhi with panache in Richard Attenborough’s Oscar winning flick ‘Gandhi’, is all set to play the part of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan opposite gorgeous Aishwarya Rai in upcoming flick ‘Taj’.

The movie is going to be made on a huge scale with its cost going upwards of Rs 125 crore and the shooting starting in the autumn of next year. The focus of the flick will be on the intrigue, pain, loss and the decisions that went into the making of the Taj Mahal.

The flick will especially portray the helplessness and loneliness of Shah Jahan, who had been one of the most powerful rulers of India. Ben Kingsley wants to bring alive the human aspects of jealousy, intrigue, etc, in Shah Jahan’s household that went during and after the making of Taj Mahal.

By Jilawatan

The cinematic genius Ben Kingsley and the world’s most beautiful lady Aishwarya Rai are coming together to re-ignite history’s most passionate & profound romance as they portray Shah Jahan & Mumtaz Mahal in the former’s next production ‘Taj.’

27 years after captivating the cinematic world with the projection of the revered Mahatma Gandhi in the Oscar-winning film ‘Gandhi’,Ben Kingsley has chosen to play the mighty Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the $ 25-30 million production under his company SBK pictures. Abhishek was rumored to play the emperor’s part but quenching all those rumors, Ben has publicly announced his ultimate decision. “With my passion for India and the Taj Mahal now becoming one of the seven wonders of the world, I am compelled to ask ‘why’ and ‘how’ this scream of grief frozen in marble came into being,” he quipped.

By Jilawatan

Actress Aishwarya Rai might be pitted against Ben Kingsley’s wife Daniela Lavender in his dream project “Taj”, a film about Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his quest to build the Taj Mahal.

“Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will play Mumtaz in the movie, if she approves the script and loves it. Daniela would be playing Kandahari Begum, Shah Jahan’s first wife in the film,” Kingsley told reporters in Panaji Monday.

The actor, who is here as guest of honour for the 40th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), said he will play the emperor in the film.

But he feels that making “Taj” won’t be easy.

“I suppose it’s very foolish or very brave attempt to do a movie on Shah Jahan. If I can show him in a human way, if I can portray him as a man amongst us — I might be able to add to many explanations on how Taj was built,” Kingsley said.

By Jilawatan

Aishwarya Rai says she is fully convinced that actor-husband Abhishek Bachchan will make a good father in real life because he is so “real and rooted”.

“Everybody has been asking me if Abhishek will be a good pa (father) in connection with the release of our forthcoming production ‘Paa’. I think it’s silly for me to be even making the statement. It’s given - I married the man. So obviously I have the conviction in the husband he is or the father he will be,” Aishwarya, 36, told IANS in an interview here.

Asked about Abhishek’s qualities that would make him a good father, Aishwarya laughed and said: “He is very real, very rooted and very human - which I absolutely relate to. His values are evident for everybody to see. We have known each other for so many years.

By Jilawatan

Actress Aishwarya Rai might be pitted against Ben Kingsley’s wife Daniela Lavender in his dream project “Taj”, a film about Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his quest to build the Taj Mahal.

“Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will play Mumtaz in the movie, if she approves the script and loves it. Daniela would be playing Kandahari Begum, Shah Jahan’s first wife in the film,” Kingsley told reporters in Panaji Monday.

The actor, who is here as guest of honour for the 40th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), said he will play the emperor in the film.

But he feels that making “Taj” won’t be easy.

“I suppose it’s very foolish or very brave attempt to do a movie on Shah Jahan. If I can show him in a human way, if I can portray him as a man amongst us — I might be able to add to many explanations on how Taj was built,” Kingsley said.