After auditioning some 60 girls, National-Award winning filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj found his leading ladies in Sanya Malhotra and Radhika Madan. Sanya, who gained recognition with superstar Aamir Khan starrer Dangal, is striking gold with films like Badhai Ho, Photograph in her kitty. While Radhika will make her big Bollywood debut after a successful stint in Ekta Kapoor's show Meri Aashiqui...
The film is a tale of two sisters, set in rural Rajasthan. While initially it was titled Chhuriyaan, the first poster released by Bhardwaj reveals that it has been re-christened as Pataakha. Sharing the look of both the actresses and thereby giving a sneak peek, the director tweeted, "दो बहनें। युद्ध आरम्भ 28 सितंबर। Do Behnein. Yudh Aarambh 28 September!"
[embed]https://twitter.com/VishalBhardwaj/status/1011217944603267072[/embed]
Based on Charan Singh Pathik’s short story, Do Behnein, it revolves around two sisters, Badki and Chhutki who grow up in a small village in Rajasthan and are constantly at war but when marriage separates them, they realise they can’t seem to live with or without each other.
Says Vishal Bhardwaj, "The first half is complete, we have just 12 days of shoot left and leave for Mount Abu on June 29 for the final schedule,”. He further adds that they fixed on September 28 as the week has been lucky for him and both Haider and Talvar had opened on October 2.
As part of their preparation, the girls learnt to milk buffalos, thatch roofs and plaster their walls with dung, walk for a kilometer balancing matkas full of water on their head and one around their waist. Sanya and Radhika also took training in a Rajasthani dialect.
Sanya and Radhika will have around two months to gain 10-12 kg for the film’s second schedule which needs them to sport a different look. “The film is divided into two parts — the girls before their marriage and how their lives change after they tie the knot," Bhardwaj had revealed to a leading tabloid.
Bhardwaj's labour of love shall also star comedian-actor Sunil Grover and Vijay Raaz in unconventional male leads. Grover is not paired romantically opposite any of the heroines.
The movie is set to hit the screens on September 28, 2018. We are excited, are you?
