The new YRF favourite- Ayesha Kapur

Shekhar Kapoor, who returns to feature-film direction after seven years with the much-anticipated Paani, has finally found his female lead. To be honest, it is not as much his choice as that of producer Aditya Chopra's.

The girl who gets the prized role in Shekhar's futuristic love story is none other than Ayesha Kapur (remember bundle of talent who at age of 11, gripped the screen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black?). Playing the deaf-mute and rebellious Michelle McNally in Black, Ayesha had shown no nervousness while facing the camera with the mightyAmitabh Bachchan who played her teacher.

Nine years later she is back as the new Yash Raj heroine and Aditya's fave girl, with a three-film deal tucked under her belt.

While the Paani team has been sworn into silence by the film's producers, a source close to the project says, "Shekhar's film is a futuristic Romeo and Juliet set in the Mumbai when water is the greatest wealth. Sushant plays a boy from the lower city who steals into the higher city where he meets Ayesha."

Apparently, Shekhar wanted a British actress to play the lead in Paani. He had approached the Twilight actress Kristen Stewart and the Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, but that didn't work out.
Would Ayesha join the ranks of other phenomenally talented child actresses like Sridevi and Urmila Matondkar who grew up to be stars in their own right or would she be another among many child actors who couldn't make a mark after maturity? Only time will tell.

Credit to Anu (Sushitalover23)