The latest rumor doing the rounds in the Bollywood gossip press is that Aishwarya has been approached by none other than one of her favorite directors, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, to perform an item number in his upcoming film Ram Leela. The film is already highly anticipated for its exciting new pairing of Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, and a special appearance by Aishwarya could easily turn it into a hit. So...will she do it? As with all rumors regarding her return to show business, there's very little to back up this news. It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility; Aishwarya has always been highly regarded for her dancing, she's been slowly returning to performing (having featured at the Times of India Film Awards--TOIFA--in Canada this summer), and she's done a spectacular item number in the past (the smash hit "Kajra Re" from the film Bunty aur Babli). Part of what's giving this rumor such strong legs to run on is that it's so believable. And she's been steadily losing the baby weight that has plagued her for the last couple years.

It's certainly high time for Aishwarya to get back to work. If she wants to remain in the industry (and so far she's given every indication that she does) she's going to have to make a film, and make one soon. She's spent the last two years turning down role after role after role. Watch commercials, appearances at Cannes, and halfhearted awards show performances don't make for a real acting career. But turning item girl (or in Aishwarya's case, "item mum") could be the perfect transition out of semi-retirement for Aish. Check out Aishwarya's last turn as an item girl in Bunty aur Babli. Can she pull it off again?