Aishwarya Rai

Filmmaker Pan Nalin’s patience may finally pay off. After having sat on his offer for lead roles in his biopic on Gautam Buddha, the Bachchans – Amitabh, Aishwarya and Abhishek – are now reportedly talking with the Paris based filmmaker.

To begin with Nalin was keen to sign up just Aishwarya as Yashodhara, Gautam Buddha’s wife. However, when Aishwarya Rai demurred, citing her family commitments as Bachchan bahu, Nalin upped the ante by offering Abhishek Bachchan the role of Buddha and Amitabh Bachchan, the role of Buddha’s father ‘Shuddhodhana’.

However, because of their existing commitments the Bachchans sat on the offer. At one point Nalin threatened to move on but that did not happen, probably because Nalin had no where else to move on to!

The film has now been delayed long enough for the dates issue to have been automatically resolved.

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.”

Nalin’s film is being produced by Barnet Bian and backed by Mahindra and Mahindra to the extent of Rs 75 crores.