Ben Kingsley, famous for his Oscar-winning portrayal of Mohandas Gandhi, is reaching deeper into the country’s history with a new role as the Mughal emperor who ordered the construction of the Taj Mahal.
Mr. Kingsley will star as Shah Jahan in Taj, 27 years after his award-winning performance in Gandhi. Indian actor and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will play Mumtaz Mahal in the $25-30 million production, the British actor's production company, SBK Pictures, said in a statement sent on Wednesday.
“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,” said Mr. Kingsley in the statement.
The company said it was recruiting a director for the script penned by British writer David Ashton and is scheduled to meet with Indian investors later this month.
Mr. Kingsley, whose credits also include House of Sand and Fog, Schindler’s List and Sexy Beast is well-known in India for his Gandhi role. With Ms. Bachchan, one of the country’s biggest stars, also on board, the project is likely to generate keen interest in India.
