The life and times of renowned ghazal and thumri singer Begum Akhtar will be retold on the big screen in a film titled Ae Mohabbat. If things go as planned, actors Irrfan Khan and Kangana Ranaut could be seen together onscreen for the first time.
Shri Anup Jalota Productions and Ae Mohabbat Productions on Tuesday announced that the biopic about Begum Akhtar, who is the recipient of a Padma Bhushan (third highest civilian award in India) and is an icon of Indian classical music.
To be directed by filmmaker Ketan Mehta, the film will feature Khan as a main character, with Oscar-winner A.R. Rahman composing the music for the film. Although the female lead is yet to be finalised, producers have their eye on Ranaut.
“We are trying to get Kangana Ranaut to play one of the stages of Begum Akhtar in the film,” Jalota said.
“We have grown up listening to and idolising Begum Akhtar. I have been wanting to initiate such a project and a tie up with Ae Mohabbat Productions [for long]. [We will also work with] Rita Ganguly, who knew her personally,” he added.
Ganguly, who was a student of Akhtar, says that the singer’s life has a cinematic quality to it.
“It is not really a biopic but a feature film. The screenplay is ready and it will have full formula of a superhit film. We are planning to release it next year as it’s a period film and a lot goes behind making such projects,” Ganguly said.
The film has also got the support from the Uttar Pradesh government since Akhtar was born in the state, Jalota said.
