Indian actress Aishwarya Rai to play mafia boss in new movie

Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai will play a powerful woman who manages mob business in a new film with her husband and father-in-law, a newspaper reported Monday.

Photo: Indian actress Aishwarya Rai to play mafia boss in new movie

In the movie "Sarkar 2," Rai plays a daughter-in-law who moves from taking care of the home of an underworld kingpin to a shrewd manager of organized crime.

"She (Rai) will shock audiences," director Ram Gopal Varma told The Times of India newspaper. "To say she'll be portrayed like never before would be an understatement."

The movie is a sequel to the 2005 hit movie "Sarkar" about a ruthless mob boss played by Amitabh Bachchan and his son, Abhishek Bachchan, who stars as his right-hand man. It will be the first time the three actors appear on screen together after Rai wed Abhishek Bachchan last month.

The sequel takes the plot forward with the older Bachchan ailing and the younger Bachchan and Rai working together to ensure they retain control over his crime syndicate.

Varma did not disclose when he would start filming the movie, but the Indian media have reported shooting will start later this year.

A green-eyed former model, Rai, 33, will wear no makeup for her new role, Varma said.

"Nobody would expect a looker like her to portray such a dark character," he said. "Her beauty won't be enhanced by filters and shaded lighting. She'll be totally without makeup."

One of Bollywood's most recognizable faces abroad, Rai was at the Cannes Film Festival last week as part of a team of models for cosmetics company L'Oreal.