Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar will soon head to Ayodhya for the mahurat shot of his upcoming project “Ram Setu”.
Reportedly, the actor will reach Ayodhya on March 18 along with Abhishek Sharma who is directing the film. They will be accompanied by creative producer Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi. According to reports, it was Dwivedi who came up with the idea of shooting the mahurat shot at Ayodhya.
“What better way to embark upon the journey of ‘Ram Setu’ than to kick-off at the very birth place of Lord Ram. Having visited Ayodhya several times myself, I suggested to Akshay and the team that we should launch the production schedule with blessings from the holy temple of Lord Ram. We are scheduled to hold our mahurat shot in Ayodhya and commence our filming on an auspicious note,” said Dwivedi.
Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma said that while Akshay has performed a number of genres, this film will see him in a completely different avatar.
“Akshay sir plays an archaeologist and his look and character is inspired by several Indian and international professional archaeologists who work in the field. In terms of both look and character, Akshay sir’s fans are in for a totally new avatar,” Sharma said.
The film also fearures actresses Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha in pivotal roles.. Talking about their roles in the film, the director said, “They both play strong, independent women with well-etched out parts. We are keeping their looks under wraps for now!”
He also added that Aksay liked the film in mere seconds and came on board instantly.
“I first read newspaper coverage about a court case related to a project to build a shipping canal in the shallow straits between India and Sri Lanka and the issues that the project was facing. I found this to be an opportunity to explore the truth behind an Indian legend and was amazed at the magnitude of the subject. It’s like I was being presented with the possibility to bring forward a true story that would connect generations of Indians to a part of our heritage that was not getting the attention it deserved. I pitched the first draft of the screenplay to Akshay sir and he immediately came on-board,” says Sharma.
The film will be shot at multiple locations while 80 per cent of it will be based in Mumbai, he added.
Earlier, Akshay Kumar had met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to seek his permission to shoot in Ayodhya where construction work of Ram Temple is underway. He was not only granted the permission, but also received best wishes from the UP CM for his new venture.