Ishaan Khatter And Mrunal Thakur To Headline War Drama Pippa, Going On Floors In September

Ishaan Khatter-Mrunal Thakur film Pippa: Bollywood newbies Ishaan Khatter and Mrunal Thakur are all set to feature in the war film Pippa, directed by Airlift director Raja Krishna Menon. The movie will be produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur. Priyanshu Painyuli is also joining the star cast of the upcoming movie which is based on the book The Burning Chaffees by Balram Singh Mehta.

Pippa was announced last year but the shooting was postponed due to the pandemic. Now, according to a report by Mid-Day, the period drama Pippa will tentatively go on floors in September if the restrictions are lifted. The film is set against the backdrop of the 1971 India-Pakistan war and will include some intense action scenes and thus a grand production for the same is required, according to the makers who have been waiting for four months to resume the shooting in full swing. The actors will start reading sessions in August, a source claimed adding that not only do the actors have to fully familiarise themselves with the Battle of Garibpur that forms the crux of the story, but also have to "physically prep" for the combat and war sequences. The shooting will kickstart in Mumbai.

Earlier, Khatter had taken to his Instagram handle and introduced us to the cast of the film. "We're coming with all guns blazin," he had written in the caption. The official details of the film were shared by film critic Taran Adarsh on Twitter last year.

IT'S OFFICIAL... #RonnieScrewvala and #SiddharthRoyKapur join hands for a 1971 war film... Titled #Pippa... Based on the book #TheBurningChaffees by Balram Singh Mehta... #Airlift director Raja Krishna Menon to direct... Stars #IshaanKhatter... Will hit theatres late next year. pic.twitter.com/GNRh6J4Mga

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) August 14, 2020

Khatter has been roped in to play Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta of the 45th Cavalry tank squadron in Pippa. The story revolves around Mehta, who along with his siblings, fought on the eastern front during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. Exhilarated to be a part of a film, he had earlier said that getting a chance to play "the role of the suave and spirited tank commander Captain Balram Mehta" is a true privilege for him. The film’s title is derived from the Russian amphibious war tank called the PT-76, popularly known as Pippa.

Meanwhile, Thakur, in a recent interview, said that she never wants to stop exploring herself and aspires to push herself out of her "comfort zone". Her last film was the sports drama Toofaan, also starring Farhan Akhtar and Paresh Rawal as leads. The film was directed by National Award-winner Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Looking back at her journey, Thakur told that she wants to work with different sets of directors. She now awaits the release of her upcoming film and Shahid Kapoor-starrer Jersey alongside Aankh Micholi.