Mumbai: Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will play Dalbir Kaur in Omung Kumar's upcoming film Sarabjit, a biopic on the slain Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh and his sister's struggle for his release.
Sarabjit, an Indian national, was convicted of terrorism and spying by a Pakistani court and sentenced to death in 1991 but the government had stayed his execution for an indefinite period in 2008.
Dalbir fought for her brother's release from the Lahore jail but her quest ended tragically when he died in 2013 following a brutal attack by fellow prisoners.
"The role demanded a very strong character with a powerful aura, and Aishwarya perfectly fits the bill. She has given spectacular performances in all her previous movies and we are confident that she will do justice to this role," said the producer Sandeep Singh.
"After producing Aligarh and co-producing Mary Kom, I realised that content-driven films are my calling which further motivated me to take up Sarabjit," he said.
The film will begin shooting in Punjab this October for a release in May 2016.
(With agency inputs)
