/> They've always been known to be the two moody female superstars of Bengal....and the twain, as they say, could never meet.

Until now.

Sharmila Tagore and Aparna Sen. Mythic beauties and the pride f Bengal are finally in a film together.

Annirudh Roy-Chowdhary (better known as Tony) whose first film Anuranan featuring Rahul Bose, Rajat Kapoor and Raima Sen was released in a dubbed Hindi version earlier this year, is at this very moment shooting important scenes with Sharmila and Aparna on the 13th floor of a Kolkata highrise.

The film is called Antaheen, which means never-ending. And that's what the shooting ordeal ought to be, if we go by the temperamental reputation of the two fierce rivals.

Sharmila and Aparna in their heydays were known to never see eye-to-eye. Both queens of Bengal, Sharmila migrated to Mumbai leaving Kolkata behind for Aparna to rule. In Mumbai Aparna could never find a foothold.

Her clinching bloomer was when she turned down Shakti Samanta's Aradhana, the role that proved a career-making boon for Sharmila Tagore.

Since then there was never any looking back for the two ageless divas.

But the Antaheen director says all is smooth -sailing between the two shooting stars. "So far there has been no problem between the two. Last night we shot till 3 and we're back this morning shooting away.

Both the ladies are extremely professional and helpful. I couldn't have asked for more. Imagine working with the two legendary beauties in my second film, " sighs Tony.

"How did I manage what you call a casting coup? I didn't have to do anything. I just narrated the parts that I had written for Rinkudi (Sharmila Tagore) and Reenadi (Aparna) to them. They both fell in love with their roles."

While Aparna Sen plays a television tycoon, Sharmila has been cast as a deglamorized but very progressive single woman.

Rahul Bose who plays her nephew says, "We live together, just me and my aunt played by Sharmilaji. Aren't I lucky? I started by working with Aparna and Sharmilaji's daughters. And now I'm working with the legendary moms. That's quite a movement forward."

According to the director the two legendary moms are still a class apart. " I did a very important dramatic sequence with the two of them. And it was magic.

Technically they were together earlier once in Satyajit Ray's Aranyar Din Ratri where Rinkudi played the lead while Reenadi had a walk-on part. They didn't come face-to-face in the film.

My Antaheen brings them together for the first time. I think some history is being created here, " laughs Tony. And adds, "The spoken language in the film and on the sets is Bengali. I don't think the film's drama will work in any other language.

Just like it needed Bengali it also needed Sharmila and Aparna. That's why they're together in this film."