The charm of 2 crore subsidy to be in UP given by the state government to films, 50 per cent of which are shot, seems to have worked on Bollywood filmmakers. The New Year will have two film shootings take place in Lucknow.
While the first film is of National Award winning director Hansal Mehta, starring National Awardees Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao, the second one is of ‘Delhi Belly’ and TV show ’24’ director, Abhinay Deo’s starring National Award winning actor Irrfan. While Hansal will begin shooting in Lucknow from January, Deo and his crew will be shooting theirs in and around Lucknow in February.
Hansal Mehta’s film has Manoj Bajpayee playing a gay professor. The film’s story is based on the real life incident of an Aligarh University professor caught in a compromising position with a rickshaw puller days before he was due to retire. Hansal’s favorite actor Rajkummar is also expected to play a pivotal role of a journalist in the film. Mehta, in the recent past has won the National Award for Best Direction for Shahid and won critical acclaim for City Lights, both of which starred Rajkummar.
Meanwhile, Abhinay Deo’s film stars Irrfan as a middle class man belonging to Lucknow. The film, slated to be a dark comedy, will also feature Imran Khan.
