Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; January 23, 2015)

Two years ago, Subhash Ghai had announced plans of making a film on Sarabjit Singh, a few months after the Indian death row convict died following a brutal assault by his jail mates in Pakistan. But now, he has decided to shelve the film for practical as well as diplomatic reasons.

Says Ghai, “We could not find the right cast. Besides, the Indo-Pak relationship is at such a juncture that it wouldn’t be right to do a film like that. I feel it just isn’t the right time.”

There were reports about Sonakshi being approached to play the character of Sarabjit’s sister, Daljit Kaur. The name of newcomer Anurag Sinha was also doing the rounds for the protagonist’s role. Ghai had earlier talked about having approached Amitabh Bachchan for the role but a packed date diary prevented Big B from accepting the offer.

Ishwar Singh Muchhal had been chosen to direct the biopic on Sarabjit, who had been sentenced to death after being convicted for a string of bombings that killed 14 persons in Pakistan’s Punjab in 1990. Though Pakistani authorities labelled him an Indian spy, his family claimed that he was a victim of mistaken identity and had strayed across the border.

In April 2013, he was attacked in the Kot Lakhpat Jail by fellow inmates, sustaining severe head injuries and slipping into a coma. About a week later, he died — though details of his death remained sketchy.

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 31, 2014)

Sonakshi Sinha has opted out of ad-filmmaker Ishwar Singh Muchhal’s film in which she was to play Dalbir Kaur, Sarabjit Singh’s sister. Sonakshi took the decision early this week. Those close to the actress apparently convinced her that the role in the film, being produced by Subhash Ghai, is not apt for a young, bubbly girl like her.

“Another reason was that her father, Shatrughan Sinha, was approached to play a significant role of a lawyer in the film. When things didn’t work out with him, Ghai approached Amitabh Bachchan with the role but after reading the script Bachchan felt that he couldn’t do the film because he had already committed to playing a lawyer in another film. The fact, that neither of the two senior actors would figure in the cast also made Sonakshi have second thoughts about the project,” says a source.

Sarabjit, a resident of Bhikhiwind, Punjab, was arrested in Pakistan on charges of espionage in 1990. He was in the prison for 22 years before he succumbed to injuries sustained after his fellow inmates, attacked him in 2013. All the while his family maintained that he was innocent and wrongly framed. The tragic story of Sarabjit and his sister’s long and futile struggle to bring him back home alive has since captivated many filmmakers.

Ghai has already taken permission from Sarabjit's family, in particular his sister. The film is being written by Rajesh Beri and will trace Dalbir’s efforts to free her brother from prison.

Mirror also has it that Shatrughan is not too happy with Ghai. After Kalicharan and Vishwanath, the filmaker was supposed to cast him in Meri Jung and Ram Lakhan. Even Devaa was envisaged with Shatru in mind but never got made. This time also Ghai first sounded out Shatru and then took the role to Bachchan.

Added the source, “It was a tough call for Sonakshi but Ghai has been informed.”

When contacted, Ghai shot back, “We haven’t signed any actor for the Sarabjit film. Where is the question of anybody opting out?”