Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar's self proclaimed magnum opus 'Heroine' is back on track with Kareena Kapoor replacing Aishwarya Rai after Rai announced her pregnancy. "HEROINE is back on track, pre-production starts from today, need your blessings & prayers!!!" Bhandarkar posted on Twitter. After a grand first look release at 64th Cannes Film Festival, Bhandarkar's 'Heroine' was stalled due to Rai's pregnancy.

After apparently spending four crores on the project already, the director stalled shooting. UTV had said in a press release that the shooting has been stopped because the script required the female protagonist to smoke, be under the waterfall and run and it is vital for Rai to be in good health.

The movie is about the life of a once successful actress called Mahi Khanna and is loosely based on the life of divas such as Marilyn Monroe and Madhubala. The movie has been controversy plagued from the start when apparently Kareena Kapoor was approached for the role. And reports also say that Kareena was not comfortable sharing romantic screen space with five separate men.

The casting for the young male lead, besides Arjun Rampal, was also a matter of huge speculation and gossip till Arunoday Singh, of 'Yeh Saali Zindaagi' fame, bagged the role. Bhandarkar is known for National Award winning films like 'Traffic Signal', 'Fashion', 'Chandni Bar' and 'Page 3'.

He is a critically acclaimed director and every movie of his rides on exceedingly high expectations and 'Heroine' – which looks critically in to the massiv world of glitz, glam and money – was no different. Besides the reported four crore sum, much more was pegged on the movie.