Royal role for Ash SUBHASH K. JHA Aishwarya Rai plays Rajmata Gayatri Devi in J. P. Dutta's bio-pic. London. It was a historic tea party. The ethereal Gayatri Devi, the stunning Aishwarya Rai and the intense film-maker J. P. Dutta all together for a very special tete-a-tete. The occasion? They were together to shake hands on JP's proposed bio-pic on the life of Gayatri Devi. And the ravishing Rajmata's verdict? She absolutely loved Aishwarya Rai and has given her wholehearted support to JP's proposed film. Aishwarya, in the thick of a hectic start-to-finish schedule of Jagmohan Mundra's `Provoked' is on cloud nine. ``I can't believe I'll be playing one of the most beautiful women in the world! To get to enact Gayatri Devi, and that too in a film by a director of J. P. Dutta's film? Wait, lemme pinch myself," she bursts out laughing. Then she spills the details of the historic meeting. ``You know, it was Gayatri Devi's birthday when we met. My mom and she share the same birthday. It was a very special day for me. J. P. Saab and I spoke with Gayatri Devi for a while. She gave her nod almost instantaneously. I'm right now playing a real-life character (the battered Sikh wife Kiranjit Ahluwalia in `Provoked'). Then I'll go into another real-life character. But a completely different one. The jubilant J.P Dutta adds, ``My wife Bindiya, Aishwarya and I went to wish Gayatri Devi on her birthday. She was very excited that everything is falling into place. I think she's very happy that Ash will be playing with her. In fact when the Rajmata and I had spoken earlier in Jaipur about a film on her life, I had mentioned Ash. She thoroughly approved of my choice." Right now Dutta is busy scripting both his proposed projects Umrao Jaan and the bio-pic on Gayatri Devi. ______________________________________________ Aishwarya to play Maharani Gayatri Devi by RACHNA KANWAR Friday, June 03, 2005:Bollywood is going retro. Old films are getting re-launched and filmmakers are digging into History books for film subjects. Protagonists range from freedom fighters to forgotten royalty. JP Dutta has chosen one such stunningly beautiful subject, Rajmata Gayatri Devi, the erstwhile Maharani of Jaipur for his forthcoming film. He is in London where he joins the Rajmata for the research of his film. He has chosen the most beautiful girl in the world, Aishwarya Rai to play Gayatri Devi. The uncrowned Queen of Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai has been reported to be thrilled to bits about her new role. Gayatri Devi, too, has approved Dutta's choice. Dutta would be relying on the Rajmatas autobiography A Princess Remembers for his film. Gayatri Devi was the Princess of Cooch Behar (West Bengal) before she married Maharaja Mansingh of Jaipur, in 1939. Though known all over the world for her legendary beauty and grace, people in her home state love the Rajmata for the work she has done for them. She entered politics in 1962 as a member of the Swatantra Party and was jailed in 1972, during emergency. The royal lady with ethereal good looks, Gayatri Devi was named one of the most beautiful women in the world by Vogue magazine. Similarly, even Ash was voted the most attractive woman of 2003 in a poll conducted by Hello Magazine. Recently, Aishwarya Rai has been voted as the 9th most beautiful woman in the world by the prestigious Harpers & Queen in a list comprising Angelina Jolie, Uma Thurman and others. She is recognised by the international media as India's most well known celebrity and has been interviewed by the likes of Oprah Winfrey and David Letterman. __________________________________ Discover Yahoo! Get on-the-go sports scores, stock quotes, news and more. Check it out! http://discover.yahoo.com/mobile.html