Anirban Das (MID-DAY; March 14, 2016)

Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani 2 goes on floors today and even as the makers try to keep details of the project under wraps, we have stumbled upon some exciting news.

While Vidya Balan was at the forefront in the original thriller (in 2012) with a clutch of Bengali actors providing able support, the sequel will apparently feature her Bollywood colleague Arjun Rampal in a key role.

A source says, “Vidya and Sujoy took long to finalise the project because they are keen to make it bigger that the prequel. Sujoy approached Arjun recently to be part of the film — not for a cameo, but a pivotal role — and he agreed.”

The team of Kahaani 2 will shoot in Kolkata on a start-to-finish schedule that extends till May. Despite repeated attempts, Sujoy remained unavailable for comment. But a well placed source confirms the news, saying, “Arjun is expected to join the cast and crew in Kolkata today. He will not be present for the entire schedule; his part will be shot within a month. The makers are going all out to keep his character under wraps since it is crucial to the film’s script.”

Rampal will also been seen in another sequel — Rock On 2.