Ayesha Kapur in Paani

Shekhar Kapoor who is returning to Feature-Film direction after seven years with the much anticipated Paani has finally found his female lead. And the girl who gets the prized role in Shekhar's futuristic love story is none other than Ayesha Kapur, that incredible bundle of talent who at age 11 ripped the screen apart in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black. Playing the deaf mute and rebellious Michelle McNally in Black, Ayesha had shown no nervousness or self consciousness while facing the camera with the mighty Amitabh Bachchan who played her teacher. 

Nine years later Ayesha, now a stunning 20-year old, is back to claim fame as a leading lady. In-between she did an endearing role as a Kashmiri girl in Piyush Jha's Sikandar. While the Paani  team has been sworn into silence by the film's producers Yash Raj Films, a source close to the project says, "Shekhar Kapoor's film is a futuristic Romeo & Juliet set in the Mumbai city in the future when water is the greatest wealth. Sushant plays a boy from the lower city who steals into the higher city where he meets Ayesha Kapur." Apparently, Shekhar wanted a British actress to play the lead in Paani. He had approached the Twilight actress Kristen Stewart and the Harry Potter actress Emma Watson. Those didn't work out. It was destined that Ayesha would bag this role. 

-Siva Kumar.