The director of the critically acclaimed film Aamir, Rajkumar Gupta has reportedly approached Bollywood superstar Kareena Kapoor to play the role of Jessica Lal in his upcoming film.

At the moment, Katrina Kaif is getting ready for her first 'serious' role in the upcoming film Rajniti.

Once the rumour of Katrina Kaif playing Sonia Gandhi hit the town, the question of who will play Rajiv was raised.

Bollywood superstars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan teamed up to play Mughal king Akbar and his Hindu wife Jodhaa in Jodhaa Akbar.

She played a battered wife in the controversial film Provoked before she donned a tonne of jewellery to become Jodhaa.

Going further back into history, before J.P Dutta ruined the story completely, Rekha played Umrao Jaan in Muzzafar Ali's 1981 version of the film.

It is widely understood that Amitabh Bachchan's character in Sarkar was based on Shiv Sena leader Bal Thakrey.

In one of India's most controversial films, Seema Biswas played the dacoit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi.

The most famous real person who has inspired a myriad films and characters is of course Mahatma Gandhi.

While Lage Raho Munnabhai wasn't a film based on Indian history, it certainly made history.

Another freedom fighter who inspired a whole host of films was none other than Bhagat Singh.

In 1975, a film called Aandhi hit the screens across the country.

In 2005, Sachin Khedekar played Subhash Chandra Bose in Shyam Benegal's film Bose: A Forgotten Hero.

Sushmita Sen entered Bollywood in 1994 with Dastak, where she was playing herself.

The Vinod Khanna starrer Dayavan was reportedly based on underworld don Varadarajan Muniswami Mudaliar aka Vardhabhai.