The historical sites of Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal came alive with star power on Tuesday. Actors Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan are shooting in Bagalkot for Mani Ratnam's new film Guru.

The scorching heat of North Karnataka notwithstanding, the pair shot for the film that seems to have the essence of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Abhishek portrays a legendary hero of the First War of Independence in the film.

This is Ash and Abhishek's first visit to the sites and they were highly fascinated by the monuments, sources said. Attired in a saree, Aishwarya took a ride in a cart, portraying a child-like expression of happiness at being in such fascinating surroundings.

She, however, left thousands of fans, predominantly a young crowd, disappointed as they could not get a glimpse of the star. The police had cordoned off the monuments by nearly a kilometre from the site since Monday to keep curious crowds away.

So the onlookers, mainly people from Bagalkot town and surrounding villages, could not catch the pair though several of them were perched on trees for a better view.

Trade sources said the director had a tough time getting permission to shoot in Badami and Aihole as Archaeological Survey of India authorities feared damage to the monuments while shooting and due to the presence of huge crowds.

It was only after the police agreed to provide adequate security did the ASI relent. In the hope of keeping the crowds away, the director had resorted to utmost secrecy, with even set designers being kept in the dark about the scenes to be shot.

According to reports, the phone line to Alakatti's house, the hub of shooting activity, was cut two days before shooting began to ensure that no information leaked out.

The century-old bungalow belonging to D M Alakatti is located on the outskirts of Bagalkot town, from where director Mani Ratnam is taking shots. The house had been abuzz with activity since a fortnight.

Some scenes were also shot in Bagalkot town. Though the film features Bollywood sensation Mallika Sherawat in a small role, she did not accompany the crew as her scenes were not set in this backdrop, sources explained.