Amitabh Bachchan will pair with Tabu in a love story directed by adman R. Balakrishnan.

After going through a spectrum of roles with co-stars ranging from the 20-something Rani Mukherjee and the child Ayesha Kapoor in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Black" to Baby Rucha in "Ek Ajnabee", Bachchan is now all set to co-star with Tabu in a mature love story.

"It's a very powerful love story between a woman and an older man. Tabu and I will play the two roles," Bachchan who has just returned from a long schedule of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's "Eklavya" told IANS.

About director Balakrishnan, he said: "I know him as Balki...that's what everyone calls him."

"He has directed me in a number of ads, including the Dabur campaign. He wanted to make a film with me for quite a while. When he narrated this idea to me I immediately agreed. At my age I have the freedom to experiment with my looks, roles and the conventional image of the leading man."

No wonder Bachchan remains the single-most adventurous and influential mega-star of Indian cinema.

Tabu is an actress he admires greatly. "She's very powerful, truly top-of-the-line. And to be doing something as unconventional as this with her would be a great challenge."

Tabu and Bachchan were supposed to come together in a film about a father-in-law and daughter-in-law some years ago. The project never materialized.

Balakrishnan's film will be Bachchan's next project after Karan Johar's "Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna". It will give the grossly neglected Tabu a chance to emerge from her self-imposed hibernation.