Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia was left disappointed when Bollywood's top actresses Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherji refused to be a part of his ambitious biopic.

Dhulia was on a relentless search for the perfect heroine in his period drama, based on the life of popular political figure - Begum Samru.

The film would trace Samaru's gradual evolution from a 'nautch' (dancing) girl into a strong political figure of Sardhana province near Meerut.

According to reports, the film has explicit bold scenes involving several nude shots, which proved to be a bone of contention for both Rani and Kareena.

"The role requires a lot of body exposure from its heroine. I went to Rani Mukerji. She loved the script but declined the offer because of the nudity. Kareena too said no for the same reason," said Dhulia, according to Daily News Analysis.

The director added that his search for a heroine in Samru's role might force him to settle for a foreign actress.

"I don't think any of the top actresses in our country would be comfortable with the nudity in Begum Samru. Certainly not any of the A-Listers. So it's best if I sign an international actress," he said.

The news of Kareena opting out of the project has come as a surprise since she recently said that her marital status would not deter her from skin show, adding that she would agree to do the role if the script demands it.

As for Rani, the talented actress had previously turned down the Mary Kom biopic, which eventually went to Priyanka Chopra. Apart from the bold scenes in the film, the actress reportedly turned down the offer due to her impending marriage with Aditya Chopra next year.