Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; December 19, 2016)

Off late, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a favoured destination for Bollywood filmmakers, thanks to the government’s shootfriendly policies. When A-listers like Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt and Farhan Akhtar are heading to India’s heartland for their films, could South superstar Rajinikanth be far behind? The team of his next film, 2.0, also starring Akshay and Amy Jackson, will fly to Lucknow in the first week of February to shoot a special song.

Gaurav Dwivedi, vice president of Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council, said, “We are delighted that legendary superstar Rajinikanth’s film will be shot in Lucknow. We will extend full support and provide all necessary logistics to his team. We take pride in the fact that the visionary film policy of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has attracted even south Indian filmmakers.”

The unit is keen to shoot at the Gomti Riverfront and Janeshwar Mishra Park. Dwivedi, however, refrained from confirming if Rajinikanth would also be part of the song shoot.

The sci-fi drama, directed by Shankar, will see Akshay playing a villain.