With dhoti, choti, Sunny set to play priest in new film

NEW DELHI - He wore a turban and beard to play a sardar in hit film “Yamla Pagla Deewana”, and now actor Sunny Deol is set to essay a dhoti-clad priest in Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s Mohalla Assi.

Sunny has taken on a very fresh and different character in the film. His look, complete with a dhoti, kurta, gamchha (towel), kolhapuri chappals and a choti (plait) is unique and quite unlike that of a Bollywood hero. But Sunny is quite excited.

“The script of ‘Mohalla Assi’ is very different and interesting, especially the character I play is very unique - its not quite like anything I have played yet. You will see me in an entirely new avatar. Its true that I will be playing a pundit, therefore, I will be dressed in clothes that are typical for a pundit, right down to a ‘choti’ to complete the look,” Sunny said in a press statement.

The story of “Mohalla Assi” is based in Benaras, says Dwivedi, whose last directorial was the critically acclaimed “Pinjar”.

“It is a movie based in a famous and historical ‘mohalla’ (locality) on the southern end of Benaras and the river bank of Ganga. The film is based on a popular Hindi novel ‘Kashi Ka Assi’ written by Dr. Kashinath Singh,” said Dwivedi, best known for his mythological TV shows “Chanakya” and “Mrityunjay”.

On the reason behind choosing Sunny for the role, he said: “The movie is a satire and Sunny just seemed like someone that could do justice to the character, as he has proven to play serious roles equally as good as he plays comic roles.”

The film is being produced by Vinay Tiwari of Crossword Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.