Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to play royalty in Ajay Devgn's 'Baadshaho'?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is in talks to play the late queen of Jaipur Gayatri Devi in "Baadshaho." Sources say the film is expected to roll mid-2016.

An Insider informed DNA that the actress has a powerful role and it's loosely based on the queen's life and the powerful decisions she took. Apparently, Gayatri Devi had objected to Indira Gandhi's Emergency (1975), which wasn't received too well by the latter.

"It was then that Indira had ordered the Income Tax department to take stock of the royal house's income and assets. The IT department, with the help of the army, conducted raids inside the palace seeking hidden treasure. But after three months of relentless search, the army had to call off the excavation work," the source further elaborated.

Aishwarya sounds like a perfect fit, given the premise. But she wasn't the first choice. Rumour has it that makers were, at one point, keen on roping in either Kareena Kapoor Khan or Priyanka Chopra for the role.

Apparently Ajay Devgn, who is also part of "Baadshaho," recommended the "Quantico" actress as she is hot on the international circuit these days, an insider told the daily.

"The actress is hot on the international circuit today. Also, Ajay has been keen to work with PC for some time. He suggested her name to Milan. In fact, Ajay was to do 'Bajirao Mastani' wherein she played Kashibai, but that didn't work out," the source added.

Describing the idea (of the film) as "explosive," director Milan Luthria revealed to Catch News that action and music are rustic and set in Rajasthan. Scheduled for a Jan. 26, 2017 release, "Baadshaho" will clash with Hrithik Roshan's "Kaabil."