Bipasha”s upcoming release however is Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, which will be released on November 23. Well, with so many projects happening back to back, Bipasha”s career graph will definitely be rising high in the next few months.

Now Bipasha has her hands full with projects. The actress of Bengali origin will be making her debut in Bengali films. Rituparno Ghosh will be directing the film. Bipasha would be paired opposite Bengali actor Prasenjeet. The shooting for the film would begin by next month although the film is yet to be named. She was earlier supposed to do another film titled Draupadi with Rituparno Ghosh but nothing much has happened since the announcement.

“We were all set to start the film. But then we saw some striking similarities between what we had in mind and Jab We Met. Doing two similar films with the same actor in the lead didn’t make any sense,” Santoshi said.

Now we are reworking the script and will surely come up with something soon. I really want to work with Shahid and Katrina,” he added. Santoshi is preparing to start his epic on emperor Ashoka in January 2008 with Ajay Devgan and Bipasha Basu in the lead.

As for his other film, the musical London Dreams, he said: “Some differences cropped up between me and the producers. Also, there was a lot of confusion over Salman Khan’s dates. So I really don’t know where the project stands.”

Tell him that he is working on too many projects, and he explains: “Yes, I do have a reputation for initiating several projects out of which some don’t work out. But during the last one and a half years you must’ve noticed I’ve been focusing only on Halla Bol. I never go on the floor until I’m absolutely sure.”

Confirming the news director Rajkumar Santoshi says, “We will begin shooting Ashoka at the end of February. It’s an historical film. Bipasha is paired with Ajay who plays the title role.”

After films like Apaharan, Shikhar and Omkara, Ashoka is going to be Ajay Devgan and Bipasha’s fourth film together. About having chosen Ajay to play Ashoka, Santoshi explains, “He is a dark skin person. He has sharp, expressive eyes and can play any character very comfortably. He appears to be very natural in all characters he has played so far.”

Rajkumar describes Ashoka as a historical film and also informs that it won’t be a modern day interpretation of the epic.

Emperor Ashoka as a historical figure towers above many of its compatriots but the celluloid story, which was loosely based on his life and times, starring Shah Rukh Khan didn’t succeed back in 2001.

“Everyone who heard the narration of the film was excited. I have watched the last film based on Ashoka, it was very well shot and Shah Rukh did a good job. But my film begins where the last film ended. My film begins after the Kalinga war,” according to Santoshi.

Though he is not saying it aloud, Raj Kumar Santoshi’s decision to make a film on the life on Emperor Ashoka with Ajay Devgan in the lead was prompted more by the failure of Santosh Sivan’s Asoka than any other consideration. “I am aware of Sivan’s film. He is a fine craftsman. However, my approach and treatment to this fascinating subject will be very different. I want my Ashoka be a happening epic on the lines of Hollywood’s Spartacus, Braveheart and Gladiator. Technicians from all over the world are now being finalized,” says Santoshi

Santoshi a versatile epic maker with films ranging from Ghayal and Lajja to his credit is toying with the idea making the film as a bi-lingual. “Or maybe we could just have English subtitles to the Hindi dialogues since that would look more authentic,” Santoshi wonders aloud, as he prepares for the biggest challenge of his creatively fecund career.