Zee Studios to collaborate with Aanand L Rai for Akshay Kumar-starrer Raksha Bandhan

Zee Studios will join hands with Aanand L Rai's Color Yellow Productions for his upcoming directorial venture Raksha Bandhan. Announced in August 2020, the film stars Akshay Kumar as a man with several sisters. The film is currently in the pre-production stage. 

The film marks Rai's first collaboration with the studio, while Akshay Kumar has previously worked in the Zee Studios' productions Rustom (2016), Kesari (2019) and Good Newwz (2019). 

In a statement, Rai said he was extremely excited about the collaboration. "Zee Studios keeps delivering powerful and compelling stories and is well aware of the sentiments of the cine-goers from the heartland. Raksha Bandhan is a heartwarming story and I am confident that this association will make our journey ahead special," he said.

The filmmaker praised Akshay whom he called "caring and collaborative". "I’m hoping to take those attributes from him and use them for his elder brother character in Raksha Bandhan. I couldn’t have asked for a better film than this for teaming up with him again after Atrangi Re. Looking forward to creating content together, that excites our audiences,” he said.

Shariq Patel, CBO, Zee Studios, said, “To be able to tell a story that is appealing, exhilarating and yet relatable is what we aim for and this film ticks all those boxes. We are pleased to collaborate with the megastar Akshay Kumar again after Good Newwz. His discipline and charisma bring a different and unmatchable energy to the set. With Aanand L Rai helming the direction we are confident that the audience will love the film. This surely will be an exciting journey to look forward to."

The film was expected to be ready for release by November 2021 but might see further delays owing to the ongoing shutdown of theatres in some states. Akshay also has another film, Sooryavanshi, in the pipeline owing to the coronavirus pandemic.