Hot babes add icing to period films

Glamour has always been one of the key components of period films in Hollywood and Bollywood. Time and again filmmakers have banked on the hot babes of the industry to rake in the moolah.

Be it Pride & Prejudice (Keira Knightley) or Mangal Pandey (Rani Mukerji), Alexander (Angelina Jolie) or Asoka (Kareena Kapoor), glamour girls have always made history look good. There is an advantage of roping in beautiful faces in a historic tale. Apart from adding to a film's face value, it helps in neutralising the intensity of a serious plot. Bollywood glamour girl Kareena Kapoor added oomph to Santosh Sivan's film Asoka (2001) culled from the tales about the emperor's life. Kareena starred opposite none other than the 'king' of Hindi films -- Shah Rukh Khan. While wandering his kingdom incognito as Pawan, king Asoka comes across a beautiful woman Kaurwaki (Kareena). Soon, the two fall head over heels in love. Hence begins a courtship that culminates into marriage. It is revealed much later in the Maurya emperor's life that Kaurwaki is actually the princess of Kalinga.

Though the film failed at the box office, Kareena's performance, especially her dance sequences, received rave reviews.

The Bollywood grapevine has it that former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen is to play Ashoka's fifth wife in a new version of the Mauryan emperor's life.

Ashoka, it is said, will be directed by Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi, whose Partition drama Pinjar and teleserial Chanakya earned him the reputation of being someone particularly well versed with Indian history. It is heard though Sush lapped up the Ashoka role, the actress expressed keen interest in playing Jhansi Ki Rani. To this, Dwivedi is supposed to have suggested he might write a film on the valiant queen who fought the colonial Britishers for Sush if she asks him to. As an interesting footnote, Dwivedi has hinted that Ashoka might star a big Hollywood actor. After the former Miss World Aishwarya Rai, is Sush too turning Westwards?

Priyanka Chopra's stars, it seems, are working overtime.

After bagging Rakesh Roshan's Krrish, opposite Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka will now be seen in Pritish Nandy Communications' Saheb Bibi Gulam based on a Bimal Mitra classic. To be directed by Deepa Mehta, Priyanka will play chhoti bahu, a role immortalised by Meena Kumari in a 1962 version of the film by Abrar Alvi. It is heard that Aishwarya Rai had earlier been tapped for the role, but she had to step aside for Priyanka because of date problems. It all started with Priyanka's photo-shoot at Subi Samuel's studio, where she dressed up as the chhoti malkin. Apparently PNC executives were simply floored by the actress flaunting a period costume. Pritish Nandy reportedly said, 'She (Priyanka) is an actress who has suddenly emerged on the scene and shown an amazing histrionic ability. We have serious reason to cast her in Saheb Bibi Gulam.'

Aishwarya sure has a way with history. She will star opposite Hrithik Roshan in Ashutosh Gowarikar's Akbar-Jodha.

The director says his film is based on the love story of the Mughal emperor and his Hindu wife. He is shooting the film in Agra and Delhi. Ash also plays the lead in J P Dutta's remake of Muzaffar Ali's classic, Umrao Jaan. She will play a courtesan and poetess, the role that Rekha played in Ali's film. The Umrao Jaan remake also includes Abhishek Bachchan, Suniel Shetty, Shabana Azmi and Himani Shivpuri.

Rani Mukerji had a cameo in Ketan Mehta's Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005).

Though her role in the film was not particularly significant, Rani was very excited about it. In an earlier interview to rediff.com, the actress said the film's period detailing was excellent. "When I read the script, I fell in love with the small role of the prostitute. There were two or three very good scenes," said Rani. "The script underwent a change, and I got more space than before. But it's still a cameo -- nothing like what Smita Patil did with Ketan Mehta in Mirch Masala, though I wish had." "Though I play a tawaif, I don't have a central role like Meena Kumari in Pakeezah or Rekha in Umrao Jaan. Mangal Pandey is completely about the title character." Though the film failed to meet box-office expectations, viewers loved Rani.