Actor plays a quirky Punjabi in his 512th film, which is being shot in Los Angeles
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 26, 2018)

As a comic ode to Gene Kelly’s iconic song “Singin’ in the Rain”, which was also the title of the late actor-dancer’s 1952 musical-romance, British-Canadian filmmaker Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri has gone on the floors with a film titled Singh In The Rain. The musical romcom follows an aspiring Indian-American singer who invites a Sikh chef to her sister’s lavish wedding only for them to discover that he is a “fake”. The laugh riot is presently being shot in Los Angeles in a 20-day schedule. It features Annapurna Sriram, Shane Paul McGhie, Pooja Batra, Amol Shah and Anupam Kher as the quirky Pratap Singh complete with a turban.

The 62-year-old actor who will next be seen in Neeraj Pandey’s Aiyaari, describes it as a “picturesque shoot in Malibu for my 512th film”. His “great new journey” across the seven seas will continue till February 15. “The film in its essence revolves around how — first comes love, then arranged marriage!” laughs the veteran actor who revealed this project at the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards on Sunday where his last Hollywood film, The Big Sick, was nominated in two categories — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.

Two days later, The Big Sick made it to the 90th Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay. “I am so proud to be a part of this gem of a film. I’m also thrilled that writers Emily Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani are nominated for the Oscars. Their script for The Big Sick was so incredibly pure. It made us laugh, cry, and everything in between,” Anupam gushes, adding that it was wonderful to re-unite with the entire team at a sit-down dinner. “It was a night to remember.”

The actor, whose repertoire boasts of acclaimed Hollywood films like Silver Linings Playbook, A Family Man and Bend It Like Beckham, will next be seen in an American-Australian thriller, Hotel Mumbai, directed by Anthony Maras, featuring Dev Patel and Arnie Hammer. Shot in and around South Bombay last year, the film is based on the 2009 documentary, Surviving Mumbai, which follows the terrorist attacks on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Anupam will be seen as chef Hemant Oberoi in the film. He will also soon start shooting The Accidental Prime Minister where he plays former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.