Sidharth Malhotra was eagerly waiting to kick off the shoot of the Thadam remake, and with good reason – the remake of the 2019 Tamil hit marks his first attempt at a double role.
The schedule of the Vardhan Ketkar-directed venture, originally slated to go on floors in May, was naturally hampered by the lockdown. Now, as producers Murad Khetani and Bhushan Kumar are hoping to begin the project in August, they are in a dilemma over the film’s location.
“As per the original plan, the unit was to head to Delhi in May where the film would be shot in a start-to-finish schedule. The director was keen on shooting certain crucial sequences across real locations. Now, even as the state government has allowed the resumption of shoots, there has been no such development in the capital. So, the makers are considering other possible locations where they can set the story,” reveals a trade source.
Far from being bogged down by the delay, Khetani says they are charting out a plan to ensure the project kicks off on the right note. “Currently, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Maharashtra have given permission to shoot. It is too early to decide whether we will film in Delhi or another city; we don’t know which state governments will allow shooting by August. We will take a call early next month.”
Given the recent turn of events, a November release is off the cards. “We were eyeing a November 23 release, but that is not possible,” concedes Khetani, adding that they have the Herculean task of reworking the schedule. “Sidharth was to shoot for Indra Kumar’s film before he began our movie, so he will have to work out his dates. Since he has two different looks, he will need to do look tests and a 10-day prep.”