When Bollywood action-adventure drama Dishoom comes to Abu Dhabi in February, the fast-paced scenes won't just involve high-speed chases and elaborate fight sequences – expect to see men in white playing cricket. According to the Indian newspaper Mumbai Mirror, the UAE cricket team will be seen in a starring role in the film.
Alongside them will be Mumbai-based actor Saqib Saleem, 27. Saleem, who also starred in Mere Dad Ki Maruti (2013) and Bombay Talkies (2013), was offered the part of an aggressive, contemporary batsman in Dishoom, which is being directed by Rohit Dhawan and also features his brother, the actor Varun Dhawan.
Saleem, who has already been shooting Dishoom for four days in Mumbai, will be batting with the UAE cricketers at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Khalifa City A.
“The major cricketing portions will be shot during the Abu Dhabi schedule with the UAE Cricket team, with whom I will train as well,” said Saleem. “I’ll be playing a lot of cricket, hitting a few sixes, too.” Saqib reveals that Rohit narrated the entire script to him, focusing on the dramatic scenes. “He is the kind of director who loves to pamper his actors. And I’m sure there’s lots of ‘me’ in the film.”
Saleem claims to be a diehard fan of the sport. In his Twitter profile, Saleem describes himself, among other things, as a “full time cricket lover”. And when he’s not busy shooting Bollywood films, Saleem bats for Sohail Khan’s team Mumbai Heroes in India’s Celebrity Cricket League.
Saleem recently tweeted: “Back from a cricket game. Fully bruised but still have a smile on my face cos playing this game gives me the utmost happiness! #firstlove.”
But Saleem, who played for the under-19 team in Delhi and captained his college team, confesses to feeling fearful that his on-camera cricket skills might not be up to scratch for Dishoom.
"My biggest fear is that the audience will say that I acted well, but played bad cricket," he told the Mumbai Mirror.
His character in Dishoom is said to be modelled on a particular Indian cricketer, but Saleem wouldn't give away who exactly that is – "He could be Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina or Rohit Sharma"– although we're guessing it's the stylish, temperamental Kohli, based on the description of Saleem's character.
Meanwhile, Dishoom's lead star John Abraham has just been discharged from Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, where he has been recovering from a knee injury he suffered while working on Force 2 in Budapest last month. The injury has meant a change in the schedule for Dishoom, which had been due to start filming in Abu Dhabi on October 24 for a five-week shoot. As revealed by The National earlier this month, the cast was scheduled to film at 40 locations around the city, including the Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi hotel.
Instead, Abraham will return to the Mumbai set next week to film close-up, dialogue-heavy scenes, with action sequences to be shot in Abu Dhabi in February.
Another Bollywood star who has just been confirmed as having a cameo in Dishoom is Nargis Fakhri, 36, who has previously worked with all three of the film's main stars – John Abraham in Shoojit Sircar's 2013 film Madras Cafe, Varun Dhawan in David Dhawan's Main Tera Hero and in September Fakhri was busy shooting Sajid-Farhad's Housefull 3 with Jacqueline Fernandez in London.
"Nargis is doing a cameo in the film," sources on Dishoom told Indian Express. "She is doing a guest appearance. She will shoot once the dates are worked out, keeping in mind John's injury."
Fakhri was in Dubai last weekend as one of the guests at the Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience Gala Dinner at the Armani Hotel.
The Indian rumour mill is also abuzz with speculation that Akshay Kumar will have a cameo role in Dishoom, although the star himself has not yet commented on the gossip.
artslife@thenational.ae
