Akshay Kumar has himself confirmed that he will be replacing Amitabh Bachchan in Oscar nominated director Deepa Meht’as Komgata Maru.
Akshay Kumar says, “I’m not used to working with the Oscar nominated directors so it is a great privilege to work with Deepa Mehta. The subject of this film has moved me, as it is a true representation and a testimony to human struggles for freedom, justice and equality. I want to portray this real life tragedy to the world identifying how injustice was done to innocent people. It is an hour for me to play one of the bravest Sikhs, Gurdit Singh, in this tragic forgotten moment in history. I salute those brave souls who sacrificed their lives for justice and equality today.”
As to why Amitabh Bachchan was dropped from the film… this is not known. “This is an extremely important opportunity for me to reveal a significant moment in Canadian history and illustrate the steadfast bravery of the Sikh community who sacrificed so much to help create a more tolerant community within my adopted country,” says Deepa Mehta.
Komagata Maru is a Canadian production being produced by Hamilton-Mehta Production Inc. in association with Akshay Kumar’s home production, Hari Om Entertainment. The film’s budget ranges from $ 30-35 million dollars approximate and is currently in pre-production. It will begin full production in September 2009. The story will be filmed in various locations around the world. The film will be distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media.