Deepika Padukone In Sanjay Bhansali’s Baiju Bawra?

While the actor  to play the  crazily talented singer Baiju in the love story Baiju Bawra is yet to be decided, Sanjay Leela Bhansali who is  remaking  the musical classic  Baiju Bawra has zeroed in  on   his second-favourite actress(Aishawarya Rai Bachchan being the first) to play   Baiju’s  love interest  Gauri.

The role was originally played  by Meena Kumari in  1952’s Baiju Bawra  directed by Vijay Bhatt.Sources say  Bhansali feels Deepika comes closest to conveying the  dignity and tragic  grandeur  of  Meena  Kumari.

“Of course  the role of Gauri would be  very different now. But  the essence of  the  character remains  unchanged,” informs  the  source.

Also, it seems  the  heroine’s  role  in  Bhansali’s Baiju Bawra  would be  significantly  increased. Meena  Kumari in the original didn’t have that much to do. The entire focus was  on Bharat Bhushan as  the   commoner  who  usurps the legendary singer Tansen  from Emperor Akbar’s durbar.Not so in Bhansali’s re-make.