Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 17, 2018)

Even as speculation about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s involvement in writer duo Siddharth — Garima’s (Siddharth Singh and Garima Wahal) directorial debut continues to do the rounds, the makers of the film have been vocal about their desire to rope in the actor. “Aishwarya is our first choice for this role,” Singh tells mid-day of his relationship saga that is set in Gujarat and delves into the subject of surrogacy in India. “If she hops aboard, she will essay a rural, rustic character like this one for the first time. Aishwarya is flexible, and puts tremendous effort into bringing her characters to life.”

Filmmakers have rarely exploited the actor to bring her talent to the fore, says Singh. “Her acting prowess is yet to be explored as filmmakers try to bank on her glamour. Few filmmakers, like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, have been able to tap into her skills. We hope to do so too with this film, but the cast is yet to be finalised.”

After having penned scripts for two ventures that dealt with social issues — Toilet - Ek Prem Katha (2017) and the upcoming Batti Gul Meter Chalu — Siddharth-Garima found the subject of surrogacy ideal to take forward their career. “The film puts the spotlight on a carefree woman, who doesn’t want a child. When she offers to be a surrogate, she finds herself inadvertently attracted to the child. The film will highlight the plight of our protagonist, and how she changes as she spends time with the baby. The draft is ready,” says Wahal.