By Dale Bhagwagar

While Akbar Khan's 'Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story' is making brisk progress with continuous shoots at the fascinating Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, the stylish maker, after the long guessing game, announced the lead pair of his colossal historical this week. Not only has he come up with a fresh team, but Khan has also astonished one and all with the stunning discovery of his heroine… the lucky lady who will play the beautiful Mumtaz Mahal; one of the most adored women of all time.

At a grand bash at the Mehrangarh Fort, Khan had a 'second mahurat' (and he also called it so) of sorts to announce his lead pair after having shot almost half of his film in the last few months. (It is for the first time in Bollywood that such a 'second mahurat' thing has been attempted replete with coconut-breaking, mahurat shot et al.) And amidst a whole lot of special invitees comprising the complete cast, plus the who's who of Jodhpur city, Khan announced the coveted names. While the handsome 'n dashing model-turned-actor Zulfikar Syed will play Shahjahan the role of Mumtaz Mahal will be essayed by none other than the ravishing Sonya Jehan, the grand-daughter of the very famous singer-cum-actress of yesteryears Noorjahan. It can be noted here that Sonya is not only blessed with her grandmother's beauty but also with a melodious voice and it comes as no surprise thus that she will also be singing a couple of songs for the movie.

The main cast of 'Taj Mahal…' includes Kabir Bedi (playing the aging Emperor Shahjahan), Manisha Koirala (playing his loving daughter princess Jahan Ara), Arbaaz Khan (playing the strong-headed Prince Aurangzeb), Pooja Batra (playing the scheming Queen Noorjahan), Arbaaz Ali (playing the just King Jahangir) and Kim Sharma (playing the bubbly Laadili Begum).

Another first for 'Taj Mahal…' is that the film will be backed by the Bank of Baroda who have entered film-financing with this prestigious project.

The film has been designed to cater to the Indian as well as international market. To be specific, 'Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story' will be the first Bollywood film to be released simultaneously in Hollywood after being dubbed in English, thus effectively catering to the Western audience. The film is co-written by South African freedom fighter Fatima Meer, who has earlier penned Nelson Mandela's biography 'Higher Than Hope'. Music is being provided by veteran composer Naushad, with Uttam Singh as his associate. Made under the banner of Mashreq Communications Limited, it is being readied for a mid-2003 release.