Aishwarya will play the role of Mumtaz Mahal, the favorite wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan who built the stunning monument for her.

Oscar-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley, who will also be producing the $30m film, will play Shah Jahan. Aishwarya is no doubt, one of Bollywood’s top stars and is hugely popular around the world.

The as yet untitled film will be produced by Sir Ben and is scheduled to be shot in India in 2008, Rai’s foreign agent Simone Sheffield told the BBC News website.

The director of the film has not yet been chosen and the script has yet to be completed, Ms Sheffield said.

Another Bollywood actress and former model, Bipasha Basu, will be playing the role of Shah Jahan’s daughter, Jahanara. Ms Sheffield said Sir Ben had met Basu while co-hosting the Seven New Wonders of the World event in Lisbon in July, where they had discussed the role.

Aishwarya is presently filming Pink Panther 2, starring Steve Martin, Andy Garcia, Jean Reno and John Cleese, in Boston. She has worked in international projects with mixed results. In 2005, she appeared in the British romantic comedy Bride and Prejudice; and she also starred in Provoked, a film based on the autobiography of a victim of domestic abuse, who was convicted of the murder of her husband.

Ms Sheffield said Aishwarya was “considering two other films” for next spring.

“She is special because she can play different ages and ethnicities. Because of this, many producers and directors think of her in a wide range of roles,” she said.

Well, all we can say is to wish you Good luck in everything you do Ash.

This has to be the biggest film ever, for Aishwarya Rai.

Hollywood actor Steve Martin in an upcoming sequel to the iconic ‘The Pink Panther.’

To be directed by Harald Zwart of Agent Cody Banks fame, the sequel will also have Andy Garcia, John Cleese and Alfred Molina. Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer will be back as Ponton and Nicole.

Rai’s business manager Harii Singh confirmed the news, first reported by Variety magazine. “It is true that Aishwarya has signed the film,” he said. The film is slated for release in 2009, and the “principal photography” will begin in France next month, Singh said. “Aishwarya will finish the dubbing for Ashutosh Gowariker’s Akbar Jodha and the shooting of Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Sarkar 2’ before starting on The ‘Pink Panther 2.’ From the first week of September to the end of October, she will be shooting outside India,” Singh added.

Ash will play one of the detectives along with Villain Molina and Garcia. They will join French police detective Jacques Clouseau, played by Martin.

To be co-produced by Columbia Pictures and MGM, the film will be distributed by Warner Brothers. Based on the 1964 Peter Sellers’ original, ‘The Pink Panther’ collected over $140 million last year.

Within minutes of unveiling of her life-like model dressed in intricately patterned red Sari, her fans in New York began flocking the museum to admire the waxwork.

The unveiling of the model, borrowed by the New York Madame Tussaunds from its parent museum in London, coincided with the India’s 60th Independence Day celebration and will be on display for six weeks before being sent back.

But several of her fans, who had gathered at the museum, said the six weeks were too short a period for all fans from New York City and neighbouring states to see their favourite star in wax.

A group of dancers, dressed in ‘lahengas’ and matching blouses, gave a scintillating performance during the 15 minute unveiling ceremony. The dances portrayed several of her popular songs.

In the museum, Rai is in the company of several other celebrities including Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

Besides Rai, the only Indian film personalities immortalised at Madame Tussauds in London are her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, super star Shah Rukh Khan and Tamil superstar Rajnikanth. Other Indian attractions at the museum are Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

But Rai became the first Indian celebrity to be displayed in New York. Rai’s waxwork was unveiled in London in 2004, timed with the release of her first international film, “Bride and Prejudice”, directed by London-based Gurinder Chadha. She was present during the unveiling in London.

Director of Marketing of the New York Museum Rosemary Preta said the coming of Rai’s waxwork to New York fulfills the long standing demand of her fans.

Set up by Frenchwoman Marie Tussauds in London in 1835, the world famous museum now has branches in Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Shanghai, besides New York, with Washington DC to be added to the list in October 2007.

Exults Ramu, “Very frankly I was wondering what she had in store considering I had never worked with her before. And considering the Sarkar sequel is a dark intense raw and real film I was apprehensive about how far Aishwarya Rai would be able to shed her immense glamour.”

But the Bachchan bahu took Ramu by surprise. “She shocked me with her performance. Without too many rehearsals and certainly without attending any pre-shoot workshop (I work, I don’t shop) Aishwarya has stood up to Amitji and Abhishek in every scene. Audiences will be shocked with her performance.”

Apparently Ramu is already planning a third part to the Sarkar saga. “I can’t see the film working without her. But to quote me as saying the film could’ve worked with Mr Bachchan and Abhishek but not without Aishwarya is like saying the Godfather could do without Brando and Pacino.”

Rai, one of only a handful of Bollywood stars with crossover appeal thanks to films such as Bride And Prejudice, married fellow star Abhishek Bachchan in April, creating what Indian media have dubbed the “ultimate power couple.”

Rai spoke to AFP on Saturday at Leeds Metropolitan University, north England where her father-in-law, actress Shabana Azmi and producer/director Yash Chopra received honorary degrees during the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFAs).

Asked how it feels being part of such a famous family, she laughed, cast a glimpse towards her nearby husband and said: “It’s all great — well, they’re family to me and that’s what makes it most special.”

The emerald-eyed beauty also spoke of her excitement at the “Unforgettable” world tour, kicking off in April 2008, when she will appear on stage with Bachchan father and son for the first time.

“I’ve been on world tours before which are always a fantastic experience because that’s your opportunity to really interact with your wellwishers, fans, world over in person,” she said.

“It’s great fun, we have a blast and this time it will be definitely unforgettable to me, literally too, because I’m going to be with my loved ones and with the fantastic groups that we tour with.”

Rai has no complaints about the warmth of the reception she has received during the IIFAs in Britain, insisting that the Bollywood film industry here is booming.

“It’s wonderful so far, the people here have been really, really warm and affectionate and we’re enjoying the welcome,” she said.

“The fact is that the film industry enjoys incredible support already in this country … actually we really do enjoy a fantastic support, a great audience and a very, very comfortable place here.”

Rai was nominated for the best actress award at the IIFA awards Saturday night for the hit action thriller Dhoom 2, which also stars her husband. But she lost out to Rani Mukherjee in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.

Aishwarya Rai, the 1994 Miss World, and Abhishek Bachchan, son to legendary Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan were married in April of this year but when they share the screen in “Sarkar Raj” they will be anything but friendly.

Aishwarya will play the role of an independent woman caught up in the corporate world and power games. According to director Ram Gopal Varma, “We’ve worked hard on the look. The glamour of Aishwarya in ‘Sarkar Raj’ will be that she won’t be glamorous. She’s so intrinsically beautiful it will be a challenge to make her look simple. But I want her to look like nothing she has done so far.”

In many ways the film, a sequel to “Sarkar,” is similar to “The Godfather” with the political maneuverings inside an underworld family.

Bachchan and Rai were married in April in what Indian media dubbed “The Wedding of the Century” — an extravagant affair that had photographers and cameramen camped for days outside their homes in suburban Mumbai.

The two became friends when they worked together on the 2000 movie “Dhai Akshar Prem Ke,” but cupid didn’t strike until they filmed “Dhoom 2″ five years later.

Soon after Dhai Akshar Prem Ke, they were paired together again in Kuch Naa Kaho (2003) but it wasn’t till Aishwarya and he jived together to the beats of Kajra Re in Bunty Aur Babli, right under the eyes of dad Amitabh Bachchan, that the sparks began to fly. The romantic drama, Umrao Jaan, was supposed to be their big film together. When it hit the floors Abhishek and Aishwarya had not started dating, but well before its release they were known, though not acknowledged, to be an item. The film, though made with a lot of passion, failed to stir audiences and onscreen chemistry between the couple remained lackluster. Dhoom 2 shortly followed Umrao Jaan. Though Abhishek was not paired opposite Aishwarya the two spent a lot of time together on the sets and that seems to have done it. “We started dating in the latter half of the film as ‘Dhoom 2′ was shot for over a year-and-a-half,” he said.

“There are so many things I love about Aishwarya. She’s very human and unaffected and down-to-earth,” Bachchan told The Times. “A simple little girl who is always smiling and that’s very endearing.”

But he said it was difficult to pinpoint when he fell in love.

“There was no defining moment as such,” said Bachchan. “I cannot explain it in words.”

Has life changed after marriage? Bachchan says Rai was pressuring him to change his diet. “She tries to make me eat healthy food as she knows I have unhealthy habits,” said Bachchan.

Often described as one of the most beautiful women in the world, Rai, 33, is a former Miss World and a brand ambassador for leading cosmetic companies.

Bachchan, 31, is one of India’s most popular actors and comes from Bollywood royalty — his father, Amitabh, and mother, Jaya, are among India’s acting elite.

Our Beauty Queen, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan continues to turn heads and looks like getting prettier with each passing day.

The latest feather in her cap is the ninth position in a poll of the 100 most beautiful women of today in the July issue of Harpers and Queen.

Coincidentally two years ago the actress had secured exactly the same spot in a similar poll.

Topping the list is Hollywood beauty Angelina Jolie followed by model Christy Turlingron, Queen Rania of Jordon, Director Sofia Copolla and celebrity Chef Nigella Lawson.

“It’s wonderful,” said Aishwarya.

Ash beat actress Scarlett Johanson, singer Beyonce Knowles and supermodel Gisele Bundchen who husband Abhishek was quite a fan of.

“I have the best wife in the world,” says the dotting husband.

Abhishek of course is probably not surprised that she’s beat out the competition after all.

Bollywood movie stars Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai visited a specialist charity centre in Leeds.

Bachchan and his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai visited the Sense Rodney Clark Resource Centre in Leeds, a specialist centre that offers vocational, educational and arts facilities for people who are both deaf and blind.

” As you know IIFA is here to celebrate Indian cinema and whereas we have the award ceremony and the celebrations but I think it is vital that we also associate ourselves with some of the more social work that is being conducted in the region which is hosting us. So whether it is a charity match that we are about to play a little later on for a noble cause, whether it is associating ourselves with global cool which is going to look after the global warming issue or whether it is to spend some time with this very noble institution ‘Sense’. ” the actor told reporters.

Bachchan played the part of the inspirational tutor of a deaf-blind child in the 2005 film `Black`. An experience that taught him a lot.

” I did a film some years ago where I was a teacher and there was a little girl who was deaf dumb and blind and we did go through a course of learning some basic sign language to be able to communicate in the film. When you are dealing with a character who is physically challenged in this manner and you have to do a film I think your task is doubly tortuous because not only are you trying to convey to your colleague who is physically handicapped what I am saying but I have to interpret what she is saying to me and because she cannot speak therefore the audience can not hear what she is says so I have to repeat what she says and we had to build the scene accordingly. “

He was approached by Sense to visit the centre to raise awareness of deaf -blindness whilst he is in England for the International Indian Film Awards (IIFA) taking place in Sheffield.

Often dubbed the “Godfather” of Indian cinema, Bachchan has appeared in over 160 films and has a multitude of awards and recognitions to his name.

In 1999 he was voted the Movie star of the Millennium in a BBC online poll, beating stars such as Robert De Niro, Charlie Chaplin and Sir Alec Guiness.

Aishwarya Rai is the most famous actress in Bollywood. She is renowned for being the first woman to make the crossover from Bollywood to Hollywood. A former Miss World, she is the face of De Beers diamonds and L`Oreal.

She recently married Abhishek Bachchan in a lavish wedding ceremony in India. Her new husband was also present in Yorkshire.

In the movie “Sarkar 2,” Rai plays a daughter-in-law who moves from taking care of the home of an underworld kingpin to a shrewd manager of organized crime.

“She (Rai) will shock audiences,” director Ram Gopal Varma told The Times of India newspaper. “To say she’ll be portrayed like never before would be an understatement.”

The movie is a sequel to the 2005 hit movie “Sarkar” about a ruthless mob boss played by Amitabh Bachchan and his son, Abhishek Bachchan, who stars as his right-hand man. It will be the first time the three actors appear on screen together after Rai wed Abhishek Bachchan last month.

The sequel takes the plot forward with the older Bachchan ailing and the younger Bachchan and Rai working together to ensure they retain control over his crime syndicate.

Varma did not disclose when he would start filming the movie, but the Indian media have reported shooting will start later this year.

A green-eyed former model, Rai, 33, will wear no makeup for her new role, Varma said.

“Nobody would expect a looker like her to portray such a dark character,” he said. “Her beauty won’t be enhanced by filters and shaded lighting. She’ll be totally without makeup.”

One of Bollywood’s most recognizable faces abroad, Rai was at the Cannes Film Festival last week as part of a team of models for cosmetics company L’Oreal.