Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar is all set to make her Bollywood debut with Yash Raj Films’ Prithviraj. The movie stars Akshay Kumar as the male lead and today, the team began the journey of the film with a puja.
Akshay took to Instagram to share a video of the puja. He posted, “Here's to auspicious beginnings ? Stepping into the world of #Prithviraj. In theatres #Diwali2020! Need your love and best wishes as always. @manushi_chhillar #DrChandraprakashDwivedi @yrf.”
In the video, we can see Akshay, Manushi, Rani Mukerji and director Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi. While Rani is not a part of the cast, she was there as she is the wife of YRF’s head honcho, Aditya Chopra.
Manushi will be seen playing the role of Sanyogita in the movie. While talking about casting her in the film, Dwivedi said, “We auditioned a lot of young, fresh faces for the role because we were looking for a stunningly gorgeous Indian heroine. While Sanyogita was an incredibly beautiful person, she was also a strong, confident girl. We were looking to find someone who could match the magnetic persona of Sanyogita and we found that in Manushi. She auditioned for the role a couple of times because we wanted to be dead sure with this casting and she nailed it each time. She has been rehearsing six days a week since then and she is being thoroughly groomed for the last 9 months by YRF.”
While talking about her Bollywood debut, Manushi said, “It is a huge honour to have been chosen by a production house like Yash Raj Films as their heroine! I’m thoroughly happy and thrilled about the learnings that I will have through this journey. My life, so far, has really been a fairy tale. From becoming Miss India and then Miss World to now getting such a big project as my debut film, it’s like a new, exciting chapter of my life. It is a huge responsibility to play princess Sanyogita. She was a powerful personality and she stood up for what is right and took the most important decisions of her life by herself. Her life is an extremely important chapter in Indian history and I will try my best to play her as accurately as possible.”
Prithviraj is slated to release on Diwali next year.
The Britain Meets India 2024 report said 667 British companies are already operating in India, generating £47.5 billion in revenue and employing over 516,000 people. (Representational image: iStock)
UK BUSINESSES are increasing their focus on India as a key market following the UK–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), according to Grant Thornton’s latest International Business Report (IBR).
The report found that 72 per cent of UK firms now see India as a major international growth market, up from 61 per cent last year.
While only 28 per cent currently operate in India, 73 per cent of those without a presence plan to enter the market, including 13 per cent within the next year.
The Britain Meets India 2024 report said 667 British companies are already operating in India, generating £47.5 billion in revenue and employing over 516,000 people.
Among Indian firms, 99 per cent of those already in the UK plan to expand, while nearly 90 per cent of those not yet present intend to set up operations.
Anuj Chande, Partner and Head of South Asia Business Group at Grant Thornton UK, said: “The shift we’re seeing is clear: UK mid-market businesses are no longer asking ‘why India’ — they are asking ‘how soon’.
“With 73 per cent of firms planning to establish operations in India and over half of existing players looking to scale up within a year, this is a pivotal moment. The UK–India FTA is a game-changer, reducing entry barriers and accelerating opportunity, but it won’t remove the complexity of operating in a fragmented and dynamic market.”
Chande added that the recent UK trade delegation accompanying the Prime Minister’s visit has added to the impetus to trade and invest with India.
However, 63 per cent of UK firms cited regulation and foreign exchange controls as the main barriers to operating in India, while 38 per cent mentioned infrastructure gaps. For Indian companies, tariffs, regulation, and the UK’s fragmented regulatory system were the key concerns.
Despite the challenges, 21 per cent of UK businesses said they had no concerns about the FTA and viewed it as wholly beneficial.
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