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As Sanjay Leela Bhansali gears up for the December 1 release of his latest big-budget venture Padmavati, it looks like he's already locked down his next project!

Deepika Padukone has reportedly been cast to play poet Amrita Pritam and Abhishek Bachchan will be seen starring opposite her as lyricist-poet Sahir Ludhianvi, reports The Quint. Apparently, the role was first offered to Priyanka Chopra who declined the offer for reasons currently unknown.

The movie, which will be produced by Bhansali and directed by debutant Jasmeet Reen is touted to be a biopic of Ludhianvi, focusing on his love life, particularly his relationship with his muse Amrita.

It had previously been reported that Irrfan Khan or Fawad Khan would be playing the role of Ludhianvi but it seems like Abhishek has come out on top.

A source revealed: “Abhishek has begun preparing for his Sahir biopic. He is regularly listening to the immortal repertoire of Sahir’s lyrics from Guru Dutt’s Pyasa to Yash Chopra’s Trishul. Abhishek’s father interacted with Sahir when he worked in Kabhi Kabhie and Trishul so Big B is able to provide plenty of invaluable insights to Abhishek.”