Ben Kingsley is all set to play Mughal emperor Shah Jahan opposite Aishwarya Bachchan in his yet to be titled film on Taj Mahal. Ms Bachchan will play Mumtaz Mahal.

The epic film, to be produced by his newly established production company, SBK Pictures, will be shot in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri in the middle of 2008.

Confirming this, Mr Kingsley said  it would be based on the construction of the Taj Mahal. He had discussed the issue with Ms Bachchan while they were shooting for ‘The Last Legion’ last year.

He stated, “My production company is right now working with a screenwriter. The romance will also include Shah Jahan’s abject isolation for years in a prison cell.”

This is not for the first time that Kingsley is playing a historical Indian character. He played Mahatma Gandhi in Richard Attenborough’s 1982 film Gandhi, for which he bagged the best actor  Academy Award.

Asked whether people would  forget Gandhi after seeing him play Shah Jahan, Kingsley said, “I hope not! I hope I continue to be remembered by Gandhi.” “We want to beat the monsoons when we shoot next year.”
He added, “I’ve always been very attached to India and its people. I don’t get to visit the country as often as I'd like to. This is my opportunity to do so.”

Earlier, Aishwarya was to star as Mumtaz Mahal in a film to be produced by Bharat Bala. Nothing has been heard of the project since then.