Frequent Sanjay Leela Bhansali collaborator Utkarshini Vashishtha to co-write Ashwiny Iyer Twiari’s next

Filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, known for Panga, Nil Battey Sannata and Bareilly Ki Barfi, is now coming up with a film on the life of ‘the first lady of Indian cinema’ Devika Rani and her husband, cinema mogul and founder of erstwhile studio Bombay Talkies, Himanshu Rai.

Although the cast of the film is yet to be decided,  today it was revealed that writer Utkarshini Vashishtha, best known for penning Ram Leela and Gangubai Kathiawadi along with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, has been roped in as the co-writer of the film.

A big studio has the official rights to the story and it is being planned on an elaborate scale. The project is currently in its scripting stage – Excited to embark on this journey with Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Utkarshini even took to social media, posted a photo with the director and said, “Just love it when stars align and when we can make magic together. So excited about us director Sahiba Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari”.

This is not the first time the story of Rani and Rai has intrigued filmmakers. Vikramaditya Motwane’s Prime Video series Jubilee, set in the world of Hindi cinema of the 1960s-70s is also loosely based on the couple. It stars Prosenjit Chatterjee, Aditi Rao Hydari, Wamiqa Gabbi and Aparshakti Khurana.