Fawad's PR on a overdrive

Reports that Pakistani actor Fawad Khan will be playing Deepika Padukone's husband in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Rani Padmavati are false. According to sources close to Bhansali, "Fawad was never considered, let alone offered, Rani Padmavati. He was briefly considered for another project that Sanjay Bhansali was to produce, though not direct. As for Rani Padmavati two of the three principal cast members " Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone " have already been locked in. The third is yet to be confirmed. It will be done next week."

While Deepika Padukone will be playing the title role, Ranveer Singh will be cast as the invader Alauddin Khilji who took a fancy to the Rani. Interestingly Ranveer and Deepika, said to be a couple in real life, do not meet in Bhansali's film. As for Rani Padmavati's husband's part, various names keep popping up in the press every day. These include Hrithik Roshan, Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor and now Fawad Khan!

Says the beleaguered director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, "I keep hearing announcements of my own film's cast. Names that I've never considered let alone met, are being thrown around. I've been busy recording the songs. Now the cast will be finalised and announced soon."