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Anurag Kashyap is back to work with renewed vigour. Even before finishing his upcoming film with Bobby Deol, the filmmaker has quietly started shooting for another project. Peepingmoon.com has exclusively learned that the Gangs of Wasseypur director is now teaming up with Amazon Prime Video on a thriller movie starring Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s grandson, Aaishvary Thackeray, in his debut leading role.

Thackeray will star alongside Vineet Kumar Singh (Mukkabaaz), Mohammed Zeeshan Ayuub (Article 15), and Kumud Mishra (Ram Singh Charlie) in this yet-untitled project. Plot details are being kept close to the vest, but sources describe the film as an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Ajay Rai and Alan McAlex are producing it under Jar Pictures, which is popularly known for making critically praised independent films such as Liar’s Dice, Nil Battey Sannata, Gurgaon, Bamfaad, Moothon, Chocked, and the Disney+Hotstar series, Grahan. The film has already been shot for...

Actor Akshay Oberoi has talked about the importance of cameo roles in the film industry. The actor believes that each character serves a purpose in advancing the storyline.

In his own career, Akshay has often portrayed cameo roles, acknowledging their significance in contributing to the larger story.

“Every role, regardless of its size, holds the power to make a meaningful impact on the audience. While I have often taken on cameo roles, I believe that each character serves a purpose in advancing the storyline and enriching the overall cinematic experience,” he said.

Akshay, whose latest release is Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone-starrer ‘Fighter’, made his acting debut as a child in the 2002 comedy-drama ‘American Chai’. He played his first leading role in ‘Isi Life Mein’.

The actor was then seen starring in films such as ‘Pizza’, ‘Piku’, ‘Fitoor’, ‘Gurgaon’, ‘Kaalakaandi’, ‘I Love You’ and ‘Gaslight’ to name a few.

As the country celebrates Bihar Diwas on Friday, Ians has compiled a list of actors from the state who have made it big on the big screen and are making waves in Bollywood.

Manoj Bajpayee: The National Film Award winner, who is from village Belwa in West Champaran district, applied for admission into the National School of Drama (Nsd) four times, but got rejected on each occasion. That did not stop him from pursuing his celluloid dreams and attaining the fame he could never have dreamt of.

He made his film debut with a one-minute role in the 1994 Naseeruddin Shah-Om Puri-starrer ‘Drohkaal’, followed by a minor role as a dacoit in Shekhar Kapur’s much-acclaimed ‘Bandit Queen’. Fame came Bajpayee’s way when he played the gangster Bhiku Mhatre in Ram Gopal Varma’s 1998 crime drama ‘Satya’.

The 54-year-old actor is well known for his roles in movies such as ‘Kaun?...

Actor Akshay Oberoi, who is known for his work in ‘Inside Edge’, ‘Gurgaon’, ‘Laal Rang’ and ‘Piku’, has wrapped up the shoot of the third season of his popular series, ‘Illegal’.

The actor has been shooting for the project since last month.

Having been an integral part of the previous two seasons, Oberoi promises that his character becomes more layered with the show’s new season. The courtroom drama is widely known for its compelling storyline and powerful performances.

When asked about his experience shooting for ‘Illegal’ Season 3, Oberoi expressed his gratitude, saying, “Working on ‘Illegal’ has been an incredible journey for me. I am thankful to the entire team for their unwavering support and belief in my abilities as an actor. The love and appreciation from the audience for the previous seasons have been overwhelming, and I can’t wait for everyone to witness the thrilling narrative of Season...

Ott platforms have not just changed the rules of the entertainment market, they have given, literally, a second life to Bollywood stars who had faded away from the public eye for quite some time. Of late, a number of senior actors, who had virtually retired from the industry or had limited theatrical releases, are now being reinvented and getting a hugely positive response to their work, courtesy of streaming platforms.

Here’s a list of nine actors who are back in the reckoning in their second innings because of Ott:

Harman Baweja

The actor made his debut with the 2008 release “Love Story 2050”, directed by his father Harry Baweja, and charmed the audience with his dancing skills (and little else!), but he was dismissed by all as the poor man’s Hrithik Roshan.

Hansal Mehta’s streaming series “Scoop”, which sees a no-longer-chocolate-boy Harman back in action as Joint Commissioner...

Mumbai, April 8 (Ians) Actor Akshay Oberoi, who is known for his work in ‘Gurgaon’, ‘Inside Edge’ and the recently released streaming film ‘Gaslight’, went out for a movie with his son Avyaan on Saturday.

The actor took to the story section of his Instagram on Saturday and shared a collage of two pictures of himself with Avyaan. He wrote on the pictures, ‘#TheSuperMarioBros’.

In the pictures, Oberoi can be seen in a casual avatar sporting a simple t-shirt paired with a pair of grey pants. He rounded up his look with a pair of glasses and a moustache.

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ which was released in India on April 7, has globally earned $120.7 million so far. The film is being called a new gold standard for the films conceived from video games.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Akshay will be soon seen essaying the role of a fighter pilot in...

Actor Akshay Oberoi, who is known for his work in ‘Gurgaon’, ‘Inside Edge’ and Ott show ‘Dil Bekaraar’, celebrated the World Theatre Day on Monday. The actor took to Instagram to be thankful for this day as he shared a set of two throwback images which date almost 20 years old.

He posted two of his pictures from the theatre days, captioning it as: “As they say, ‘you gotta start somewhere’… theatre is where I started, back in 2003!”

The picture he posted was from the play ‘Returning’, which was staged at Johns Hopkins University on March 3, 2006. Akshay is seen with his co-actor Julie Sihilling.

Talking about the same, Akshay said: “I had my first taste of theatre while I was doing bachelors at Johns Hopkins University. It’s the place where I learnt the basics of acting or production. The theatre is the place where I learnt what good quality acting is,...

2022 for the Hindi Film Industry (or popularly known as “Bollywood”) hasn’t been much of a memorable year either in terms of commercial success or when it comes to innovative films, and the post-pandemic effect cannot be ignored. Furthermore, the sorry state of the Indian economy and market also did not help as the masses faced terrible losses during the pandemic, and the film viewing habit cannot be viewed in isolation. This was only exacerbated by the high exposure to the Ott platforms for some sections of society. Yet there were a handful of exciting films that made this bland year memorable in the context of Hindi films. This list will consider films that marked their theatrical release in India in 2022 and will also include direct digital releases or things like Netflix originals. So, here are the top 10 Bollywood films of 2022 (ranked):

10. Darlings

This Alia Bhatt-starrer also sees...

In this special feature Subhash K Jha lists and reviews 3 Ott Feature Films You May Have Missed.

Gurgaon(Disney-Hotstar): The gleaming glittering surfaces of Gurgaon which stands between the violent hinterland of Haryana and the Capital politics of Delhi, renders itself with ironic radiance to the themes of entrepreneurial greed and violence in cinema . Atul Sabharwal’s Aurangzeb was an underrated attempt at understanding the strife that controls the monstrous affluence of the constantly-evolving region.

Director Shankar Raman’s Gurgaon gets it right immediately and ineradicably. This is a blood-soaked land of opportunity, and opportunism.There is a sense of immediacy and doom in the storytelling which coil themselves around the viewer from the first frame in such a persuasive manner that we are sucked into the tale although some of what happens here is done more for effect than out of an inner conviction.

But the absence...

Akshay Oberoi, who is currently shooting for Vikram Bhatt's horror film "Cold", recently made a special gesture for his director friend Shankar Raman. The actor flew to Bhopal for a cameo appearance in Raman's untitled directorial.

Akshay has worked in Raman's critically acclaimed film "Gurgaon" in 2016.

"I am super excited for all the projects I am shooting for right now. When Shanker approached me for a cameo, I just had to say yes, not just because he is a friend but because I love his direction style. The memories of shooting for 'Gurgaon' came back to me and as soon as I got a break from shooting for 'Cold', I started out for Bhopal," Akshay informs.

The actor has recently three Ott releases -- "Flesh 2", "Illegal" and "High" -- in recent months. "I cannot deny that the last year has been very kind to me.

New Delhi, Jan 18 (Ians) Akshay Oberoi has been a part of Bollywood for almost a decade now. He agrees that the acting profession is difficult and can knock down people multiple times.

In his decade long journey in Hindi cinema, Akshay has starred in films such as "Pizza", "Gurgaon" and "Kaalakaandi". He has also made a name for himself in the digital space, with web projects like "The Test Case", "Hum Tum And Them" and "Flesh".

Talking about the industry being a brutal place, as it defines an actor on the basis of hits and misses, Akshay told Ians: "It is brutal but that is the industry world over. It's not just Bollywood. In any cinematic industry, this is the way it works. It is an art made for commerce. So, if your part is not done well you don't have any takers."

"It is tough to get the next...

By Sukant Deepak

New Delhi, Dec 3 (Ians) : Dhanya in ‘Peepli Live, Kanta Bai in ‘Sacred Games, ‘Karma Devi in Gurgaon and Lata Kutty in ‘Ludo -- her quiet (and sometimes not so) intensity ascertains that the screen belongs to her no matter who is sharing the frame with her.

While actor Shalini Vatsa may prefer to stay away from the media glare, her following among compulsive Ott watchers has only grown over time. "Looking back -- from my first film to now, it has really been an enchanting journey. I have had the opportunity to work with some of the best filmmakers of our times and portray extremely interesting and mufti-layered characters on the screen. What else can an actor ask for?"

Vatsa, who has worked with thespian (late) Habib Tanvir's Naya Theatre Repertory and was part of plays like ‘Charandas Chor', ‘Midsummer Night's Dream', ‘Raj Rakt', ‘Zahreeli...

Known for playing offbeat and memorable characters on screen, Pankaj Tripathi, has always portrayed his roles with sheer ease and finesse. Following the successful release of Mirzapur Season 2 and prior to the launch of his upcoming film Ludo, the versatile actor gets candid with IMDb in the latest episode of IMDb On The Scene, fondly revisiting his favorite moments in Mirzapur while also deep diving into his upcoming Diwali release.

When asked if there has ever been a role that took a lot from him as a person, Pankaj Tripathi said, “Gurgaon (2017) was really difficult and even Guruji (Sacred Games) was tough. Artists have 2 tools, their personal experiences and the more important one, their imagination. These roles were tough because they were different from my life experiences and I had to imagine a lot. Acting is now a spiritual process for me. If you see me on the sets you...

Mumbai, Nov 14 (Ians) For Pankaj Tripathi, acting is a spiritual process. The actor says he is not always serious while working on the set but his inner focus is always actively immersed in his craft.

Asked if there has ever been a role that took a lot from him as a person, Pankaj said: "Gurgaon (2017) was really difficult and even Guruji (in Sacred Games) was tough. Artistes have two tools, their personal experiences and the more important one, their imagination."

"These roles were tough because they were different from my life experiences and I had to imagine a lot. Acting is now a spiritual process for me. If you see me on the sets you might feel I'm goofing around and I'm not serious but at the same time my inner focus is always active," he added.

At the moment, he is earning plaudits for his role in Mirzapur as...

Just a few weeks, ago that filmmaker Shekhar Kapur shared that he was impressed with the amazing new acting talents that the Ott space has been introducing to the world. The audience is with him on this.

Ians takes a look at actors who have grabbed maximum eyeballs in the digital space, emerging as the new Ott stars:

Amit Sadh

The former "Bigg Boss" contestant began as a television actor in 2002 and later entered Bollywood with "Phoonk 2" in 2010. "Kai Po Che" brought him fame and he went on to feature in films like "Sultan" and "Gold". Now, he is one of the favourites in the digital space as he got a thumbs up for his role as Inspector Kabir Sawant over two seasons of the web series "Breathe". He was then seen as an army officer in the web series "Avrodh: The Siege Within". For him, it seems like the...

Actor Pankaj Tripathi has amassed a fan base with his numerous performances. Among his highlight acts has been a few negative roles such as the dreaded gangster Kaleen Bhaiyya in the web series, Mirzapur, the butcher-henchman Sultan in Gangs Of Wasseypur, and the power-hungry Guruji in Sacred Games. He says he chooses negative characters wisely.

"In our younger years, the idea of a villain was rather limited. It was obviously by virtue of how the stories played out, but villains were a little over the top in their tonality. With 'Mirzapur' and 'Gurgaon' earlier or even 'Sacred Games', I have been able to explore the dark side of the human psyche in greater depth," Pankaj Tripathi said.

"I choose the negative characters wisely," he added.

The acclaimed actor has tried to ensure none of his roles are similar.

"Kaleen is intoxicated by the power he commands,...

Another soggy mafia saga set in and around a Delhi business family, and one that compares very poorly with Kanu Behl's "Titli" and Shanker Raman's "Gurgaon", "Line Of Descent" leaves a puzzling, bitter 0aftertaste.

It's not such an awful film. It's just so unnecessary it resembles a fifth or sixth generation copy of "The Godfather" with Prem Chopra?giggle?playing Brando while Ronit Roy, Neeraj Kabi and Ali Haji play the three sons quite well. Abhay Deol, the well-meaning though ill-informed cop who busts the Sinha family's a**. And Hollywood has-been Brendan Fraser (the big daddy from original "The Mummy" franchise) makes an entry midway as an arms dealer of indeterminate race and an even more uncertain function in a plot that wants to be savage, funny, poignant and relevant, and trips over its own overweening ambitions.

Throughout the running time of less than two hours, we search...

Since my relatively recent descent into Indian cinema, one of the elements that continuously impresses me is the diversity of the films produced in this vast country, with the many different cinemas. This time, I came across a noir-styled thriller, by first time director Shanker Raman.

“Gurgaon” screened at Fantasia International Film Festival

The story takes place in the titular district in the northern Indian state of Haryana, one of the most economically developed regions in South Asia, and revolves around a family, the Singhs. Preet, the adopted daughter of real-estate construction mogul Kehri Singh returns from studying architecture abroad, with her father expecting her to get into the business, and gradually, to succeed him. His openness about his plans is a source of constant frustration for his son, Nikki, whom Kehri considers a failure. The dynamics of the family, that also include Nikki’s hatred for Preet, surface in...

Amazon PrimeA brilliant cast of actors led by Pankaj Tripathi is let down by an inconsistent script and indulgent direction.Saraswati DatarThe name 'Mirzapur' traces its etymology back to the Persian words Emir (commander ) and Zad ( lineage) and literally translates to ‘place of a king’. It’s an apt title for Amazon Prime’s third made-in-India original, produced by Excel Media and Entertainment, that tells the story of a powerful overlord trying to rule his fiefdom while consolidating control for his heir apparent. Directed by Karan Anshuman, Mihir Desai, and Gurmmeet Singh, Mirzapur boasts of an enviable ensemble cast and a story that on paper, has all the ingredients for another small town crime potboiler. It’s an interesting ‘othering’ of small town India as a hotbed of crime and all things immoral and rather perversely exotic, for a largely urban audience watching it on a digital platform.

The young actor Akshay Oberoi, who has received rave reviews for his performance in the dark film Gurgaon, clarifies the rumors about his part in the film Fanney Khan by Rakeysh OmPrakash Mehra.

Contrary to the reports that suggested that he has declined a film with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Akshay commented, “Who in their right mind would ever decline a Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra – Aishwarya Rai Bachchan film? It would have been my honor to work with Aishwarya and Rakeysh sir. Yes, I had auditioned for the film and even got shortlisted but unfortunately I wasn’t the one who was finalized for the role and these things happen. I would have loved to be the one to receive that final call from the producers but maybe next time.”

Well, that’s really brave of the young actor to come out and say that.

Akshay will be soon seen in Akshat Verma’s Kaalakaandi,...

The post Ragini Khanna hosts a special screening of the film ‘Gurgaon’ for her relatives and friends appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

Gurgaon

Starring Pankaj Tripathy, Akshay Oberoi, Ragini Khanna,Aamir Bashir

Directed by Shankar Raman

The gleaming glittering surfaces of Gurgaon which stands between the violent hinterland of Haryana and the Capital politics of Delhi, renders itself with ironic radiance to the themes of entrepreneurial greed and violence in cinema. Atul Sabharwal’s Aurangzeb was an underrated attempt at understanding the strife that controls the monstrous affluence of the constantly-evolving region.

Director Shankar Raman’s Gurgaon gets it right immediately and ineradicably. This is a land of opportunity, and opportunism. There is a sense of immediacy and doom in the storytelling which coil themselves around the viewer from the first frame in such a persuasive manner that we are sucked into the tale although some of what happens here is done more for effect than out of an inner conviction.

But the absence of credibility never comes in the way of...

Akshay Oberoi, the good looking young actor has shed his guy next door image and will be seen in an all new mean avatar in his new film Gurgaon. Gurgaon is a noir thriller inspired by true events. It tells the story of how individual lives and dignities are crushed under the wheels of leviathan development in today’s India. .

In the film, Oberoi plays Nikki Singh a son of a wealthy business man who can go to any extent to achieve what he deems is rightfully his, even if his ways are morally incorrect. It’s a story about the spine chilling events that his actions set off in the lure to achieve what he wants.

Talking about his character, Akshay says, “Nikki Singh is an extremely complex character with many layers to his personality. He’s the perfect example of still water runs deep. You’ll never know...

Anurag Kashyap unveiled the first poster of Gurgaon, a noir thriller, that stars Ragini Khanna, Akshay Oberoi, Pankaj Tripathi...

Family can be a tricky thing. The bonds forged between blood relations are often tenuous and fraught with jealousy and distrust. You can't choose the people with whom you make those bonds, and as a result, those people aren't always the easiest to trust. In first-time director Shanker Raman's Gurgaon, the bonds of family are further complicated by a shameful past and secrets that put everyone at risk. In this case, all that blood guarantees is that blood will flow for those who seek to claim what they believe is rightfully theirs. When prodigal daughter Preet (Ragini Khanna) returns to her father's estate in Gurgaon from college in Europe, not everyone is happy to see her. While her mother and especially her father Kehri Singh...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Mueller said his unexpected resignation was due to “divergent opinion” with the festival organisers.

The inaugural International Film Festival and Awards Macao (Iffam) today unveiled its lineup of 49 feature films, one day after the abrupt departure of festival director Marco Mueller.

The six-day festival will open on Dec 8 with the Asian premiere of Valérie Müller and Angelin Preljocaj’s Polina, which recently premiered at Venice Days.

The 11-strong international competition section consists of three world premieres (Macao-born Tracy Choi’s debut feature Sisterhood, Shinobu Yaguchi’s Survival Family and Shanker Raman’s debut feature Gurgaon) and two international premieres (Elon Doesn’t Believe In Death by Ricardo Alves Jr and Hide And Seek by Liu Jie).

The rest of the competition is filled by six Asian premieres, including 150 Milligrams by Emmanuelle Bercot, Free Fire by Ben Wheatley [pictured], Queen Of Spades by Pavel Lungin, Saint George by Marco Martins, The Winter by Emiliano Torres and Trespass Against Us by [link...

Mueller said his unexpected resignation was due to “divergent opinion” with the festival organisers.

The inaugural International Film Festival and Awards Macao (Iffam) today unveiled its lineup of 49 feature films, one day after the abrupt departure of festival director Marco Mueller.

The six-day festival will open on Dec 8 with the Asian premiere of Valérie Müller and Angelin Preljocaj’s Polina, which recently premiered at Venice Days.

The 11-strong international competition section consists of three world premieres (Macao-born Tracy Choi’s debut feature Sisterhood, Shinobu Yaguchi’s Survival Family and Shanker Raman’s debut feature Gurgaon) and two international premieres (Elon Doesn’t Believe In Death by Ricardo Alves Jr and Hide And Seek by Liu Jie).

The rest of the competition is filled by six Asian premieres, including 150 Milligrams by Emmanuelle Bercot, Free Fire by Ben Wheatley [pictured], Queen Of Spades by Pavel Lungin, Saint George by Marco Martins, The Winter by Emiliano Torres and Trespass Against Us by [link...

Shanker Raman’s Gurgaon and Rahul Jain’s Machines both picked up Prasad Digital Intermediate Awards at the close of Film Bazaar on Nov 25.

Both projects were screened in Film Bazaar’s Work-in-Progress Lab.

Gurgaon, selected in the fiction section, revolves around the impact that sudden wealth has on a family living on the outskirts of Delhi.

Jain’s Machines, which screened in the documentary section, presents a sensory experience of working conditions in a textile factory in Gujarat.

The awards were presented by Work-in-Progress Lab mentors Marco Mueller and Derek Malcolm. “Every year I come here, the documentaries get just a little bit better and this year, in particular, has been a very good year,” Malcolm said.

Nina Lath Gupta, MD of India’s National Film Development Corp, said: “The response at the ninth edition of Film Bazaar has been overwhelming. It’s been great to see Indian cinema grow. For me, every...

Mumbai-based Jar Pictures is attending Film Bazaar with a busy, multiple-language slate, including Ajitpal Singh’s The Man Who Broke The Mountain, to be co-produced by Mexican writer-producer Guillermo Arriaga [pictured].

The Hindi-language drama, based on the true story of India’s “Mountain Man” Dashrath Manjhi, was selected for the Mumbai Mantra/Sundance Screenwriters Lab in 2012.

Arriaga, who wrote Babel and produced Venice Golden Lion winner From Afar, was a mentor at the lab.

Jar’s Alan McAlex and his partner Ajay G. Rai are also producing the next film from Liar’s Dice director Geetu Mohandas, Malayalam-language Mulakoya, which will shoot next year in Lakshadweep Islands, Kerala and Mumbai. The project was selected for this year’s Drishyam/Sundance Screenwriters Lab.

Following its success with Avinash Arun’s award-winning Killa, which opened in France last month, Jar is also producing Arun’s next Marathi-language film, Boomerang.

The company will also produce the next project from Crossing Bridges director...

Mumbai-based Jar Pictures is attending Film Bazaar with a busy, multiple-language slate, including Ajitpal Singh’s The Man Who Broke The Mountain, to be co-produced by Mexican writer-producer Guillermo Arriaga [pictured].

The Hindi-language drama, based on the true story of India’s “Mountain Man” Dashrath Manjhi, was selected for the Mumbai Mantra/Sundance Screenwriters Lab in 2012. Arriaga, who wrote Babel and produced Venice Golden Lion winner From Afar, was a mentor at the lab.

Jar’s Alan McAlex and his partner Ajay G. Rai are also producing the next film from Liar’s Dice director Geetu Mohandas, Malayalam-language Mulakoya, which will shoot next year in Lakshadweep Islands, Kerala and Mumbai. The project was selected for this year’s Drishyam/Sundance Screenwriters Lab.

Following its success with Avinash Arun’s award-winning Killa, which opened in France last month, Jar is also producing Arun’s next Marathi-language film, Boomerang. The company will also produce the next project from Crossing Bridges director...

Projects exploring the role of women in Indian society and the country’s rapid economic development feature heavily in the line-up for this year’s Work-in-Progress Lab at Film Bazaar, which includes six fiction and five documentary features.

Alankrita Shrivastava’s Lipstick Under My Burkha [pictured], produced by Prakash Jha Productions, tells the story of four women struggling with society’s restraints and searching for freedom in small town India.

“Many Indian films are focusing on patriarchy and the restrictions that women have to live with – even male filmmakers are starting to examine this subject,” said Deepti Dcunha, who curates Film Bazaar’s Wip Lab and Viewing Room sections.

The Wip fiction line-up also includes Amit Rai’s ‘I’ Pad, based on the true story of a man who invented a machine to make low-cost sanitary pads. “Its surprising to see a taboo subject like this in an Indian film,” said Dcunha.

In the documentary...

While he’s just 2 films old, Akshay Oberoi has made his presence felt within the Industry as well as among his fans. With an impressive line-up ahead which includes Abhishek Kapoor’s Fitoor, Indo-Brit film Bombairiya, Gurgaon directed by national award winning cinematographer Shanker Raman, Ye Laal Rang with Randeep Hooda and a big announcement on its way, Akshay has managed to pave his way in the hearts of his fans not only in India but also across the oceans.

Recently, he met a female fan who flew all the way down from Morocco to meet him. This girl started following Akshay and his work on his twitter and expressed her wish to meet him. After her consistent messages, Akshay obliged her request once he wrapped up his schedule for Yeh Laal Rang in Karnal. They met up at a coffee shop in Bandra. The fan also showed him few...

After Abhishek Kapoor’s Fitoor, Indo – Brit film Bombairiya, and Shanker Raman’s (national award winning cinematographer) film Gurgaon, Akshay Oberoi is all set to start the shoot for his next, Yeh Laal Rang with Randeep Hooda.

While the shoot will start in mid-August, Akshay has packed his bags and flown down to Karnal in Haryana to prep for his role.

The film, based on Blood Mafia, is largely based in Karnal and Akshay plays a doctor from Haryana. To understand the language, style and mannerism of the people and to fit the role better, he is going to stay for a week-10 days at a local hotel and do his research before he starts shooting for his role.

Interestingly, while Karnal is a part of Haryana, the language spoken in the city is part Haryanvi and part Punjabi. The mix of language is one of the challenges that Akshay...