Has Deepika Padukone signed her fourth film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali?

There is no denying the fact that Sanjay Leela Bhansali is one of the most accomplished directors of Bollywood today. Take a look at his inimitable oeuvre and you will know what we are talking about.

The filmmaker has worked with many top heroines in his career by far, but the one actress that he is really very fond of is Deepika Padukone whom he has repeated in three of his directorial in a row.

And if latest reports are anything to go by, Deepika Padukone has signed her fourth film with the director after successful hits like Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani and the upcoming film Padmavati. The film will be produced under his banner Bhansali Productions.

Titled Gustakhiyaan, the film was earlier offered to Priyanka Chopra, but due to her busy schedule and prior commitments, she could not accommodate her dates and opted out at the last moment.

Reportedly, the director tried his best to rope in some other top actress but did not get any success. Finally, it is Deepika Padukone who came to his rescue.

The film will be based on the lives of literary giants Sahir Ludhianavi and Amrita Pritam. While Deepika Padukone will be seen in the role of Amrita Pritam, Abhishek Bachchan has been roped in to play Sahir Ludhianavi.

A source adds, "Abhishek has begun preparing for his Sahir biopic. He will begin rigorous interaction with Sanjay Bhansali after Padmavati releases. But his groundwork on Sahir has begun in right earnest. He is regularly listening to the immortal repertoire of Sahir's lyrics from Guru Dutt's Pyasa to Yash Chopra's Trishul. Abhishek's father had the good fortune to interact with Sahir when he worked in Kabhi Kabhie and Trishul. So Bachchan Saab is able to provide plenty of invaluable inputs to Abhishek's preparation."

We hope that with Deepika Padukone and Abhishek Bachchan on-board, Sanjay Leela Bhansali will announce the project officially.