Mumbai, May 31: After having had excelled on small screen as a producer, Ekta Kapoor is leaving no stone unturned to supersede her counterparts with her foray into film production. The queen of television soaps and serials, Ekta is contemplating shooting the sequel of her 2010 blockbuster ‘Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai’ in Pakistan.
Buzz has it that filmmaker Milan Luthria and the Kapoor girl are keen to shoot certain portions of the film across the border to give an authentic look to the film based on real life don Dawood Ibrahim.
However, Luthria and Kapoor are also equally apprehensive about the safety and security of her cast and crew in case they shoot in the backdrop of Pakistan.
Talking to a tabloid, a source revealed, “The ideal location to shoot the film is in Pakistan and Ekta and Milan are surely thinking about it. However, the security is a major concern. It is no secret that Akshay Kumar is essaying the role of Dawood Ibrahim, who is allegedly living in Karachi.”
Akshay Kumar, who will be essaying the role of Dawood Ibrahim in the film, will be pitted against another actor (yet to be cast).
“The makers are still in the process of zeroing down on a hero, who will star opposite Akshay. However, one thing is for sure that he will be a young hero. Following the original film, which was shot in actual gangster areas in Mumbai, Ekta and Milan are now trying to find similar possible locations in Pakistan to shoot the sequel. However, they are yet to get the consent of the actors to shoot in the neighbouring country.”
Post the death of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, the region has become more vulnerable. Reportedly, Dawood is seeking shelter in Pakistan since he was one ff the accused responsible for the 1993 Bombay serial blasts.
“The idea to film there makes sense as the film deals with Dawood’s life and his rise in the underworld, after the death of various dons like Haji Mastan, Vardha Rajan and Karim Lala. Following the Mumbai bomb blast, Dawood supposedly fled to Pakistan and is reportedly staying in Karachi,” added the source.
The makers of QUATIM want to give a realistic touch to their film, which is why they are considering shooting in Pakistan if all goes well.
“For even a portion of the sequel to be shot in Pakistan would be hugely controversial. Considering the content of the film, the support of the Pakistan government will be necessary, if the producers decide to shoot there, even just for two to three days”, further added the source.
However, Tanuj Garg, CEO of Balaji Motion Pictures, preferred not to reveal much and said, “It’s too early to comment. We’re still working on the script. We will weigh all location options, once the script is ready.”
–Agencies