Nikkhil Advani, John Abraham to reunite for period football drama 1911

File image of Nikkhil Advani. Image sourced from mid-day archives

Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani is all set to return with his Batla House star John Abraham in the period sports drama 1911. He revealed that shooting for the forthcoming film will begin at the end of next year.

"1911 is based on a true story. It is about a football match that took place between the Mohun Bagan Club of India and the East Yorkshire Regiment in the year 1911. It's one of the most important events that ignited the freedom movement in India," said Nikkhil, adding: "It's a script that John Abraham and his team have been working on for the last five years. I believe Shoojit Sircar was going to direct the film but it didn't work out between him and John, but I loved the idea and the period of the film."

Nikkhil Advani was interacting with the media at when eighth-anniversary celebration of his production house, Emmay Entertainments in Mumbai.

Talking about his next project as a director, Nikkhil said: "Right now, I am committed to do ‘1911'. I am going to start writing for that film. I am making that film with John Abraham and we will start shooting of that film at the end of next year because I like to take my time by doing research and prep work and then come up with a film."

Nikkhil added that 1911 is a patriotic and nationalistic film. "It's a nationalistic and patriotic film. It triggered off things where eleven men did not realize how they were energizing an entire country to take up kind of a movement which led to freedom of India in 1947," he said.

Mohun Bagan's 2-1 win over East Yorkshire Regiment happened in 1911 IFA Shield final. It was a pivotal moment for Indian football as well as an action that triggered off a surge of patriotism all over the country. The Mohun Bagan players who achieved the feat are often referred to as the Immortal Eleven.

"While doing research for the film, I discovered a moment in the story when a young boy asks Shibdas Bhaduri, who was the captain of Mohun Bagan, when we would win against the Britishers. Bhaduri tells him (the real win would be) when the British flag came down."

Nikkhil has often collaborated with John in the past. Apart from directed the actor in the recent Batla House and the 2007 film Salaam-e-Ishq, he also produced John's 2018 release, Satyameva Jayate.

"John has two very big biceps and big shoulders. Literally, he carries us, whether it is Satyameva Jayate or Batla House or Satyameva Jayate 2 or 1911. We have joint venture between Emmay Entertainment and (John Abraham's production house) JA Entertainment. We are committed to do six films as a company, which, may be, I will direct or may be he will act in. Definitely, however, we will come up with six interesting movies."

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