The sport seems to be the new flavor of Bollywood.
By Akanksha Warrier
MUMBAI: Even as Priyanka Chopra prepares to take the nation and the boxing circles by storm in and as Mary Kom, Akshay Kumar, Sidharth Malhotra and Jackie Shroff are readying themselves to get into the boxing arena in the desi remake of Warrior. We have also heard that Ranbir Kapoor plays a street fighter in Bombay Velvet. Clearly, boxing seems to be the flavor of the season in Bollywood.
Joining the pulsating parade of pugilists is Salman Khan. According to reliable sources, Salman would be doing some boxing and fencing in Sooraj Barjatya’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.
“It is Sooraj Barjatya’s first action-oriented film. Salman Khan has a double role in the film. While in one of the roles he is cast as a peace-loving typical Sooraj Barjatya hero, in the other role he is a fighter,” says a source.
Salman would be training in sword-fencing and boxing to fit into Barjatya’s new film.
The actor, who dons a double role in the film, will be seen playing two distinct characters in it. While one will be the quintessential lovable hero that is significant to a Sooraj Barjatya film, the second will be playing a fighter.
Salman says shooting Barjatya’s ” Prem Ratan Dhan Payo” is the toughest film he is doing in so many years as the role requires him to be as “pure” as he was when he featured as Prem in the filmmaker’s “Hum Saath Saath Hain“.
“It’s (‘Prem…’) the most difficult film I am doing in a very, very long time because it’s been 13 years since I have worked with Sooraj. I have changed so much, I’m not that pure person anymore. I have seen a lot more (sic),” the 47-year-old said here Tuesday in an interview.
The film features Sonam Kapoor also in a lead role, with Neil Nitin Mukesh, Armaan Kohli and Swara Bhaskar in supporting roles. Principal photography began in June 2014 and the film is scheduled for release in 2015.