Jackie Shroff Roped In As Salman Khan’s Father; Priyanka Chopra To Play Wife In ‘Bharat’

After eight years later, Jackie Shroff and Salman Khan will come together in Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bharat. The last time both were seen together was in Veer: An Epic Love Story Of A Warrior (2010). However, unlike their last film, where they clashed with each other, in Bharat, Jackie will play Salman’s father and Priyanka Chopra who has been signed to play the female lead will play Salman’s wife. Like Salman, as they become older in the film, she too will sport five different looks in the movie with the help of prosthetics.

Says a trade source, “The role of Salman’s father may not be a big one but it’s pivotal to the film and shapes Salman’s character and who he becomes later. It was Salman who wanted Jackie to play this powerful role. It starts in 1947 when the Partition takes place and thousands of families are separated and ends in 2000.

The movie is the journey of a country and also a person, both of whom go by the name of Bharat. Ode To My Fatherbegins with the Hungnam Evacuation in 1950 when many families got separated in Korea and the father tells his son Yoon Deok-soo, ‘If I don’t come you are the head of the family that means whatever happens you put the family first. Now, that you are the head of the family, look after them well.’ Jackie plays Salman’s father and his words remain with the young boy (Salman) right till the end. They get separated during the Partition in Bharat but his father’s words and desire to reunite with him remains right till the end.”

While the film is an official adaptation of the South Korean drama film, Ode to My Father (2014), Bharathas been adapted to Indian audiences with certain changes. But the source adds, “Like Ode To My Father, which spans over many years, Bharat’s story will span over a period of 50 years and that’s why we will see Salman Khan sporting five different looks in the movie – as a young boy who witnesses the Partition to the current years when he is an old man. As the firstborn, Bharat becomes his family’s breadwinner from an early age, doing all manner of odd jobs to support the family. The film begins from a modern day elderly couple (Salman and Priyanka) reminiscing about their past and how they fell in love and got married. So we will get to see a very young Priyanka Chopra and Salman Khan and old ones too. There are flashbacks to various phases of time. Like Ode To My Father which depicted Korean history from the 1950s till the recent times, Bharat too will highlight various important events of Indian history.”

Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bharat began shoot on Sunday at Mumbai’s Filmistan Studios resembling a circus tent with Disha Patani and Salman Khan. The film will have Salman playing a stunt motorcyclist while Disha will be a trapeze artiste. Produced by Atul Agnihotri, Bharat will be filmed in Abu Dhabi, Spain, Malta, Punjab and Delhi.