No Benazir Bhutto biopic for Vidya

Stories of Vidya Balan playing various real-life characters have surfaced during the past one year. We first heard she was playing the mythical singer MS Subbulakshmi. Now we hear she is playing the slain Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto.

Unfortunately, making a film on controversial Ms Bhutto is not an offer open to any filmmaker.

Says a source, "The rights of making a film on Benazir Bhutto are with her family. After her gruesome assassination in December 2007, Shabana Azmi was picked to play the slain stateswoman in an Indo-Pak co-production to be helmed by Mahesh Bhatt."

Bhatt was chosen to produce and direct the Benazir film because of his close cultural links with Pakistan. Shabana, who bears a cultural and physical resemblance to Benazir, had been chosen to play the gutsy Pakistani leader of 25 years ago in a film that was to be made by British-Pakistani author Tariq Ali. However, the project about which both were equally enthusiastic has been stopped by Benazir's widower Asif Ali Zadari " the former President of Pakistan. Apparently, Zardari and his family would personally like to supervise any consummate Benazir biopic. All films on Benazir, including one that was to feature Sushmita Sen some years ago, have been called a halt.

Given the backdrop, it seems unlikely that Vidya will step in to play Benazir. Earlier, herbiopic with singer MS Subbulakshmi which cinematographer Rajiv Menon was to direct, was shelved.

It looks like it would be a while before Vidya gets to play another real-life character.

https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-no-benazir-bhutto-biopic-for-vidya-2060470