Sahara India Pariwar has withdrawn from Ketan Mehta's Mangal Pandey-The Rising following the unceremonious exit of actress Aishwarya Rai -- the company's council director -- from the project.

In a press statement, Sushanto Roy, head of media and entertainment at Sahara, said, "It is unfortunate that Sahara India Pariwar is withdrawing its association with Mangal Pandey-The Rising.

"We had planned to be joint partners in the project. However, we shall never continue with any association where the concerned people shall not care for the respect of our Pariwar and Pariwar people," he added.

"I have learnt that there was some ongoing discussion regarding the remuneration of Aishwarya. Her international agents wanted to settle mutually and amicably. They also offered to settle for a consideration from the overflow. When we are associated with the project, and since she is a part of our Pariwar, we should have been intimated and consulted before she was so unceremoniously thrown out of the project," he said.

Actress Amisha Patel has replaced Rai in the film. The mahurat of The Rising, which also stars Aamir Khan and British actor Toby Stephens, was held recently in the presence of Prince Charles.

Photo: Jewella C Miranda

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