After Priyanka backed out, has Aishwarya come to the rescue of Abhishek's Gustakhiyan?

For the past couple of months, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ambitious biographical drama Gustakhiyan - based on the life of Urdu poet-lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi - has been in the news owing to repeated change in cast. After Abhishek Bachchan was finalised to essay the role of Sahir, Priyanka Chopra, who agreed to play the female lead, had recently backed out.

According to India.com, Bhansali's favourite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has now come onboard to rescue her husband's film. The Bachchan bahu would play the lead actress opposite Abhishek.

Aishwarya looks drop-dead gorgeous on latest magazine cover [PHOTO]

While there is no official confirmation regarding the same, if the report turns out to be true, this will be Abhishek and Aishwarya's ninth film together. They were last seen together in 2010 film Raavan.

Although Abhishek is collaborating with Bhansali for the first time, the filmmaker and Aishwarya have worked together in three films -- Hum...Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas and Guzaarish.

Gustakhiyan will revolve around Sahir's relationships with several women, including poetess-novelist Amrita Pritam and singer-actress Sudha Malhotra. It will reportedly also focus on the lyricist's contribution to Bollywood. Sahir earned his first Filmfare Award in 1963 for his work in Taj Mahal and 13 years later, he bagged the Best Lyrics award for Kabhie Kabhie.

Meanwhile, Bhansali is busy with the shooting of Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor-starrer Padmavati, which will hit the theatres in November.

Aishwarya, on the other hand, is gearing up for the shoot of her next Fanney Khan alongside Anil Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao.