By: Mohnish Singh

According to reports, filmmaker R Balki is set to direct his next directorial venture. The director, who has previously helmed such notable films as Cheeni Kum (2007), Paa (2009), and Ki & Ka (2016), last directed Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor-starrer Pad Man (2017), which received both critical and commercial success.

If reports are to be believed, his next project is a thriller that will star south sensation Dulquer Salmaan in the lead role. Salmaan, who is one of the most sought-after actors in the Malayalam film industry, made his Bollywood debut with the 2018 film Karwaan, also starring Mithila Palkar and late actor Irrfan Khan. His last release in Hindi was The Zoya Factor (2019), which failed to meet audiences’ expectations at the box office.

Talking about Balki’s next, a source had earlier informed an entertainment portal, “He had been toying with the idea of making a thriller for a while now and the lockdown gave him the time to explore that space on paper. He worked on the idea and developed it into a full-fledged screenplay. Given the way his script shaped up, Balki and his team felt that Dulquer Salmaan would fit the bill and be apt for the protagonist’s part in the film. The female lead and other actors of the film will be locked soon, and a formal announcement is on the way.”

Meanwhile, Dulquer Salmaan has three interesting films on his platter right now, namely Kurup, Salute, and Hey Sinamika. Apart from playing the male lead in Salute, he is also producing the film under his banner.

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