The sun is seen rising over the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, in November 2009. The white marble monument to love was built by the Mogul emperor Shah Jahan in tribute to his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. (Gurinder Osan/Associated Press)Ben Kingsley, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi, has been cast in the role of the Mogul emperor who built the Taj Mahal in a new British production.
He will appear in the film Taj with one of Bollywood's biggest stars, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Bachchan will play Mumtaz Mahal, the favourite wife of 17th-century Mogul emperor Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal was built as a loving tribute to her after she died giving birth to their 14th child.
"With my passion for India, and the Taj Mahal now becoming one of the Seven Wonders of the World, I am compelled to ask 'why' and 'how' this scream of grief frozen in marble came into being," Kingsley said in the statement released by SBK Pictures of London.
Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, shown Aug. 22, has been cast in the role of Mumtaz Mahal. (Mahesh Kumar A./Associated Press)"It is an indelible monument to passion and love. How did the building evolve in the first place, that is the question we're looking at."
Shah Jahan ruled the Mogul Empire, about a third of modern-day India, from 1628 to 1654 in what is considered a golden age for art and architecture. He was deposed by his son Aurangzeb in 1658 after falling ill and confined to the citadel of Agra until his death.
The $25-30 million film will be filmed in India beginning in mid-2010 from a script by British playwright David Ashton.
Kingsley, 65, has starred in films such as Sexy Beast, Schindler's List and The House of Sand and Fog. He was born in Kenya of Indian descent. His 1982 portrayal of Gandhi earned him best actor Oscar and Bafta awards.
Bachchan, a former Miss World who is married to Abhishek Bachchan, the son of Indian screen legend Amitabh Bachchan, starred recently in Sarkar Raj,The Pink Panther 2 and the controversial Jodhaa Akbar.
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