Katrina Kaif is set to play a real-life character - Madhubala

Bollywood3000: After playing a quasi-biographical character in Raajneeti, Katrina Kaif is set to play a real-life character - Madhubala. Katrina will reprise the legendary actress’ role in the Kishore Kumar biopic to be directed by Anurag Basu.

Katrina was finalised for the project after she opted out of Basu’s other film, Silence, in which she was to co-star with Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor.

A source says, “Katrina couldn’t do two back-to-back projects with Anurag Basu and Ranbir Kapoor. So she picked the biopic on Kishore Kumar in which she will play Madhubala.”

While she was considering her option back then, Katrina had said, “If I do another film with Ranbir, I’d want it to be a full-fledged commercial love story.” And it can’t get any more mainstream and romantic than the Kishore Kumar-Madhubala saga.

In fact, the actress has already begun doing her homework for the role and watched Mughal-e-Azam, Mahal and Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi.

While Katrina chose not to reply, Anurag says guardedly, “I think it’s a little early to talk about it. I still haven’t got the principal cast of my current project, Silence, in place.

But yes, Katrina is someone I am very, very fond of...for her looks, talent and nature. I am definitely working with her, if not in Silence, then in my next film.”

One of the song sequences from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi that Anurag Basu’s film will be looking to recreate is the Kishore-Madhubala song Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si.