Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; October 10, 2014)

Chalo China, the sequel to Lara Dutta’s maiden home production, Chalo Dilli ( 2011), was supposed to go on the floors in April next year with shoot schedules planned in Thailand, Malaysia and China. However, fund crunch seems to have played spoilsport and the makers are presently looking out for financers.

An industry source reveals, “The film has to be shot in multiple locations across three Asian countries, which requires a big budget. So, the shoot has been postponed indefinitely and the production team is looking for financers right now. As and when the financers come on board, the shoot will start.”

Another source says that there is more to the budget issues. “Lara and her husband, Mahesh Bhupathi, are planning to produce a cookery show on television, which is also a reason behind the delay in starting the shoot,” the source adds.

While the star cast of Chalo Dilli remains the same for its sequel, the original director, Shashant Shah, has been replaced by Shashanka Ghosh. Chalo Dilli was wrapped up within 33 days with only a three-day break.

The sequel, too, will be on the fast track once it get rolling. It will be jointly produced by Lara’s Bheegi Basanti Entertainment, Bhupathi’s Big Daddy Productions and Eros.