Two months ago, at least two film-makers hit headlines for announcing their respective films on the life and times of Umrao Jaan, the role immortalized by Rekha in the 1980s. Reportedly, Pakistani actor Meera had been signed by Afzal Ahmed for his take on Umrao Jaan, while Aishwarya Rai had been chosen by J.P. Dutta for his interpretation of the story.
There's talk that Afzal Ahmed has dropped the film since Meera's debut film in India, NAZAR, proved a disaster at the box-office. Afzal informs, "The project has been delayed, not shelved. I can't make progress till Meera returns from Dubai. Also, the torrential rains in the city have only delayed the launch of the film. I've joined hands with a corporate house, they'll be producing the film with me now. The formalities are being worked out currently and we should roll the moment I get the green signal from them. She's definitely doing the film. But we may add a few more top names to the cast".