Balki: “Yes Mr Bachchan Is Also Part Of My Sunny Deol-Dulquer Starrer”

The astoundingly  unpredictable  R Balki’s career-graph is  about to get another jolt. He  is  all set to direct his  next film . His last directorial was  the  well-received Akshay Kumar starrer Padman a  bio-pic on  Arunachalam Muruganantham who made  sanitary pads affordable to underprivileged women.

Balki’s new  untitled  film, a thriller, will feature another Punjabi  superstar.

“Yes, Sunny Deol is in my film. I’ve never worked with him. I don’t know why I thought  of him. But this was a role that needed a man with an understated machismo. Strong yet vulnerable. A man  of a few words whose presence alone makes people pay attention to him. Sunny can  command respect without  raising his voice or fists. I  wanted that  personality  for this character,” says Balki who  will also work with  Malayalam  superstar Dulquer Salman for  the first time in this thriller.

“Dulquer is  one of  the most talented actors  today. I wanted to work with  him  for the longest time. This thriller  requires Dulquer presence. His fans will see  him in  an entirely new light,” says Balki.

 The  film  also stars  Pooja Bhatt about whom Balki says,  “There is  much more to her than meets the eye . I am thankful  to  (director) Alankrita Shrivatava  for  bringing Pooja back in Bombay Begums,” says  Balki.

 Are Sunny  and Pooja  cast as a pair in the thriller?

“Let’s just say they are co-hunters in the thriller,” says  Balki mysteriously.

 No mystery in Amitabh bachchan  being part  of  the  cast. “He has to be there. I’ve cast him  in every single  film of mine beginning with Cheeni Kum where he was the lead  to Padman where he made  a special appearance. In my thriller Mr Bachchan will come   in  at a crucial juncture  in  the  plot.His  presence would be decisive, as it always  is in my cinema. I’d never cast  him just  for the sake of casting him.”

 Balki feels it’s time to get  back to work. “We can’t just keep waiting for  the Covid situation to  turn  around. We have  to get  back to work. I am doing that with much anxiety and nervousness. Not thinking  too much ahead about where it will release and  when. Right now I’d just like to  concentrate  on making the  film.”