Kareena Kapoor's character in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's new film, tentatively titled Ram Leela, will be named after the woman the filmmaker loves the most -- his mother, Leela Bhansali.
"Sanjay had secretly decided that he would name a female protagonist in one of his films after his mother, but only when he was certain that the character was worthy of the honour, " says a source close to the filmmaker.
In his earlier films, a number of female characters have been modelled on the director's mother, including Helen in Khamoshi and Kirron Kher in Devdas.
"Leela in Ram Leela has been written specially keeping his mother Leela Bhansali in mind, " a source says.
In the film, Bhansali pays one more tribute -- to his homeland Gujarat. This will be his first movie to be shot on location in a Kutch district.
The havelis and kothas in Devdas, the spacious, British bungalow in Black, and the river gondola and over-bridges in Saawariya were all sets. Bhansali, who believes that perfect lighting, and shooting according to the director's vision is only possible within the controlled confines of a studio, has made an exception this time.
Kareena will begin preparing for the film after she wraps up Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine, which includes putting on some weight to look like an authentic girl from Gujarat. "She has already begun to shed her size-zero look, " the source says.
