WOW! Irrfan Khan and Priyanka Chopra in Sanjay Bhansali’s Gustakhiyan

Set aside all the rumours, hearsay, and conjecture. It is finally Irrfan Khan and Priyanka Chopra as the legendary poet-lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi and his muse the bohemian author Amrita Pritam.

Completely discarding recent stories that claim that Irrfan is no longer able to give dates to the project a source close to Gustakhiyan says, “Irrfan has been on board from the start. He was our first choice and he remains our only choice to play Sahir Ludhianvi.”

Priyanka Chopra too was all but finalized for some time now. Apparently, producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali had made up his mind to cast her during the making of Bajirao Mastani.

“With her smouldering sensuality, outgoing personality and husky diction, Priyanka is the perfect fit for Amrita Pritam,” says a source.

Gustakhiyan will be directed by debutante Jasmeet Reen. The film will chronicle the tumultuous blow-hot-blow-cold relationship between the poet Sahir Ludhianvi and author Amrita Pritam, an association that lasted for nearly 40 years. It was rumoured that Bhansali was thinking of signing his ‘Mastani’ Deepika Padukone for Amrita Pritam’s role. But, it was felt all along that Priyanka’s personality patented Pritam to pitch perfection.

As for Irrfan, he was always the first choice for Sahir.

There have been reports of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who produces Gustakhiyan also directing the project.

Sources close to SLB dismiss this as ‘bunk’.

“Sanjay Leela Bhansali is currently directing Padmavati. He hasn’t even thought of what he will direct next. Gustakhiyan was always Jasmeet Reen’s project.”