Ash not in Van Damm film

Bollywood star and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai is not acting in the new Asterix and Obelix film, which stars martial arts star Jean Claude van Damme, Hollywood trade sources say, refuting reports in this regard appearing in several sections of the media.

The sources said the film, shooting for which is scheduled to begin in March, does not star Aishwarya Rai.

''The movie is set to begin filming around March 2006 in Tunisia and Morocco without the Bollywood Beauty, ''the sources said.

Earlier media reports had said Aishwarya Rai was tipped to act in the new Asterix and Obelix film.

The reports, that appeared in several sections of the media during the international film festival of India in Goa in November, had said that an entirely new part may be written for the Indian star in the film version of 'Asterix and Obelix at the Olympic games', which does not have any main female characters.

The 70-million budget film will have Van Damme playing the Roman legionary gluteus Maximus, who represents Rome at the games.

The premiere of the Hindi version of 'Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra' was held at the Goa international film festival of India (IFFI) on December 3 as part of the beach cinema.