From Queen’s city to Maximum City

Ibrahim Ali Khan

There appears to have been a change in the filming plans of Ibrahim Ali Khan's Diler. Director Kunal Deshmukh's sports drama was slated to have a long schedule in the UK. However, in light of the recent UK riots, producer Dinesh Vijan cancelled the film's London leg. Now, the production team, led by Deshmukh, is undertaking a last-minute location scout in Mumbai to find suitable alternatives.

The decision is a precautionary measure to ensure the cast and crew's safety amid the UK unrest that is driven by anti-immigration protests. A source says, "In July-end, the team did recce and look tests in London. Kunal had lined up a straight schedule during which significant portions of the film would have been canned. But after the situation worsened, the makers felt it would be very expensive to hire exhaustive security.

For Dinesh, his unit's safety is paramount. So, he scrapped the London leg and instructed his team to consider domestic locations." The recce is underway in Mumbai. "The director intends to kick off the latest leg in first week of September," adds the source. Diler, reportedly centred on a marathoner, is Khan's second project. He is gearing up for his Bollywood debut with Sarzameen, which also stars Kajol and Prithviraj Sukumaran.