Amitabh Bachchan has landed in the south European country of Malta to shoot for Vijay Krishna Acharya's Thugs of Hindostan. The film, which also stars Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif, is based on the life of members of the dreaded 'Thuggee' cult in 19th century India.
Writing in his blog, the actor wrote, "In the early hours of Mumbai morning, stepping on to the vehicle of air transport for distant land, to begin the shooting of Thugs of Hindostan in Malta."
The actor also tweeted, 'When you open your eyes in the morning to this .. you wish that yellow burning ball never shifts .. EVER !
Malta for TOH ..!'
The actor even gave a hint about his costume for the shoot by saying,"I immediately find myself overdressed and uncomfortable, for the dress of the day is nothing beyond the knees."
While the location might seem a bit incongruous with the setting of the Vijay Krishna Acharya's film, the blog post sheds some light on the costumes of the actors, and perhaps the role of Amitabh Bachchan in the film. Based on the life of the dreaded dacoits in India during the 19th century, the 'knee length' dress that the actor is referring to could be the short dhotis the Thugs of Hindostan were known to wear.
In one of the well known caricatures for Philips Meadows Taylor's book, Confessions of a Thug, the gang of dacoits is portrayed as wearing a turban, bearded, and short dhotis that allow them to move swiftly to attack the victims. Seeing how the book is one of the many sources for Acharya's film, it can be assumed that Bachchan is one of the senior members of the dacoit gang central to the film.
Being made on a lavish budget, the film is also reported to have a high octane action sequence to be shot on a ship. An international crew has been working hard to create these elaborate ships. This might also explain the Maltese location for the film.
The film also stars Fatima Sana Shaikh of Dangal, Katrina Kaif and Aamir Khan in pivotal roles.
-With inputs from IANS