Mirror was the first to report (November 3) that Akshay Kumar and Kriti Sanon will start shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala’s action comedy Bachchan Pandey from January in Jaisalmer and continue till March. In the film, Akshay plays a gangster who aspires to be an actor, with Kriti as a journalist who dreams of becoming a director. Now, we have learnt that Arshad Warsi has come on board as Akshay’s friend and a member of his gang.

“The makers were looking for someone who could match Akshay’s comic timing and they found him in Munnabhai’s Circuit, who, over the years, has aced this space. It’s a first time pairing for the actors,” revealed a source close to the development, adding that his track is integral to the narrative, with multiple shades and a special look. Interestingly, both Arshad and Akshay have been a part of the Jolly LLB franchise, playing Jolly in part one and two respectively.

The team of this Farhad Samji directorial is currently on a recce in Jaisalmer and are planning to shoot at places like the Gadisar Lake and Jaisalkot. “Heavy duty action scenes will be shot at real locations, choreographed by stunt teams from across the country,” added the source, saying another A-list actress is expected to join the cast soon.