Lucknow’s short filmmaker shoots his debut movie in the city

Lucknowite

Rizwan Siddiqui

is presently shooting his debut film '

Imamdasta

' in Lucknow. The film stars actor Saharsh Kumar Shukla, the FTII graduate from Raebareli, who is known for films like 'Rangoon', 'Highway', 'Talvar' among others, in lead.
An autobiographical film, depicting director Rizwan’s life, the film revolves around two unemployed youngsters who live in Delhi. Rizwan, who has directed two short films in the past, talks about his first feature film which is a comedy-drama, "It is based on my life experiences when I was in Delhi. The first schedule of 25 days has been completed and has been mostly shot in Lucknow and nearby areas. Apart from Saharsh, the film also features Rakesh Sharma, a thespian from the city in the lead. The rest of the cast includes actors from Lucknow only."

Director Rizwan Siddiqui on the sets of the film (BCCL/ Vishnu Jaiswal)

Saharsh, who started his Bollywood journey from Bhartendu Natya Akademi (BNA) has a long list of films like 'Knock Out', 'Shahid', 'Ugli', 'Highway', 'Bangistaan', 'Talvar', 'Raees', 'Rangoon' apart from many short films and ads to his credit. Talking about his experience of shooting in Lucknow, he says, "It always feels good to be back in your hometown. It is this city which provided me a platform in acting and I always love to keep coming back here."

Actor Saharsh Kumar Shukla gets ready for a scene (BCCL/ Vishnu Jaiswal)

The actor is on cloud nine these days after he shot a promo for a game show with none other than actor Amitabh Bachchan. "The moment I came to know that I will be shooting with Amitabhji, I was filled with excitement, it was like a dream come true for me! On the sets, I was waiting eagerly before his entry and the moment he appeared before me I was hypnotized by his sheer aura. Later, when I was introduced to him before the shot, I was shivering." He adds, "It was an amazing experience to shoot with such a huge star. Like every actor, I also had dreams of working with him someday."