The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow, who is shooting in Chandigarh for her film based on the killing of Osama bin Laden, has no prominent Indian actor's name in the star cast. However, Mumbai Mirror has learnt from reliable sources that Shabana Azmi is the first major Indian actor to be cast in Bigelow's controversial film.

When contacted, Azmi did not deny the news but simply said, "It's too early to talk about it." Apparently, efforts to cast some prominent actors of Pakistani origin failed, once it was decided that Bigelow would not be able to shoot in Pakistan. Now, she will be casting Indian actors to play Pakistani characters.

A source close to the project told this newspaper, "While Kathryn has zeroed in on her American cast members, she is yet to take a final call on the actors who would be playing Pakistani characters in her Osama film." The Osama film with Bigelow would be Shabana's most controversial film till date.Right now, it isn't clear what she plays. But according to a reliable source, it's a pivotal role of a Pakistani woman.

"Shabana was a natural and immediate choice for the part. She has a great command over Urdu and is a well-known face in international cinema," the source added. Azmi has just concluded work on two other international projects - Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Deepa Mehta's Midnight's Children, which touch on the issue of Islamic identity.