Prateik Babbar Joins the Cast of Lioness, Starring Aditi Rao Hydari and Paige Sandhu

Actor Prateik Babbar is all set to star in Aditi Rao Hydari and Paige Sandhu starrer Indo-UK co-production Lioness. The actor will essay the role of a Sikh character for the first time.

Prateik visited the Golden Temple today to seek blessings as he will play a British-Sikh character on screen for the first time. Interestingly, he was spotted sporting long hair and a beard in the video while taking the holy dip.

He took to Instagram and shared a picture of himself along with a caption, "waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh."

Excited about the film, Prateik said in a statement, "It is an honour for me to be part of a film that celebrates the legacy of the granddaughter of our Sher-e-Punjab — Maharajah Ranjit Singh. I will be playing the role of Rajdeep Singh, a British Sikh living in the 1990s in Southhall. The character has given me a chance to understand and get closer to my Punjabi heritage. It is a huge responsibility."

Lioness, the official Indo-UK co-production being made under the bilateral treaty signed by the two countries in 2008, was announced at the India Pavilion (managed by FICCI under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) during Cannes Film Festival.

Written and to be directed by award-winning filmmaker Kajri Babbar, starring Aditi Rao Hydari and Paige Sandhu in leading roles, the film produced by Vivek Rangachari, Vaishalli Paatil, Faraz Ahsan, Clare Cahill, and Ajit Pal Singh has been certified by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the British Film Institute (BFI).

The film inspired by the research of Peter Bance, the historian who discovered the story of Princess Sophia Duleep, is the story of two British Punjabi women living in the UK, a century apart. Peter is also one of the executive producers of the film.

Princess Sophia Duleep Singh born in 1876 was the Princess of Punjab, the granddaughter of the great Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the Goddaughter of Queen Victoria. Sophia was one of the key leaders of the suffragette movement in the UK. She remained a tireless advocate for the rights of women and children till her last day.

While Sophia's story is rooted in history, the second story is a fictional tale of Mehak Kaur, an educated, married immigrant woman living in 1990s Southall. Mehak uncovers a fascinating story of women's emancipation and empathy in contemporary times. The two stories play out in different eras, highlighting grit, determination, and compassion.

Princess Sophia will be played by Indian-origin British actress Paige Sandhu, who has won many accolades for her performance in the ITV soap, Emmerdale.

The film is currently in pre-production and is slated to start shooting by the end of this year in London.

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