Aishwarya Rai

ollywood star and former Miss World (1994) Aishwarya Rai has been offered the role of Yashodhra, wife of Gautam Buddha, opposite husband Abhishek Bachchan by NRI film director Pan Nalin (Valley of Flowers, 2006).

Pan is currently in Mumbai to sell the project to Aishwarya.

“It’s a multi-billion dollar project and I’m backed by Oscar winning producer Barnet Bian and one of India’s top business houses which is getting into film production with this project. Aishwarya is just perfect for the role,” he says.

Aishwarya, 34, is evaluating the offer but likes the fact that she will be paired with her husband.

She has asked Nalin to get in touch with Abhishek, 33, who is currently shooting for Rakeysh Mehra directed Dilli 6 in Jaipur.

Speaking with the press recently, Aishwarya had said she will consider Hollywood offers purely on merit without being enamored by the fact that they come from Hollywood.

There are already two films based on the life of the Buddha in the pipeline to be directed by Shekhar Kapoor and Shyam Benegal. However, Pan says the storyline of his film differs.

“… my film will be different, it will be told from the point of Gautam Buddha’s wife, Yashodhara.”