Curiosity Surrounds Shakib Khan’s Director at Aamir Khan’s Set

While Aamir Khan was filming at Mumbai Film City, Abu Hayat Mahmud, director of Shakib Khan’s upcoming film “Prince: Once Upon a Time in Dhaka”, visited the set. Accompanied by the producer and other team members, Mahmud had the opportunity to meet and exchange greetings with the Bollywood superstar. His visit, shared on Facebook, sparked curiosity among fans and industry observers about the purpose of this presence.

Abu Hayat Mahmud clarified that, although he was present near Aamir Khan’s camera monitors, he was not involved in the shoot itself. The main reason for his visit was to meet cinematographer Amit Roy, who handled Aamir Khan’s recent advertising films and is now attached to Mahmud’s movie.

Mahmud explained: “We had scheduled a meeting with our cinematographer days in advance. Accordingly, we went to Mumbai. We discussed story, script, and production plans with Amit Roy. During the two-day meeting, he suggested visiting the set of Aamir Khan’s film for a day. We completed our discussion during the shoot breaks.”

During the visit, Amit Roy introduced Mahmud and his team to Aamir Khan. Mahmud said: “We exchanged greetings and talked briefly about working in the Bangladeshi film industry. We shared our upcoming project with him. Aamir Khan listened attentively and wished us well. His time was limited to seven hours due to rehearsals and filming, so our conversation was brief and focused mainly on cinematography and shoot planning.”

Amit Roy has previously worked on several high-profile Indian films including “Sarkar”, “Animal”, “Dunki”, “Dhoka”, and “Fida”. He is now collaborating as cinematographer for “Prince: Once Upon a Time in Dhaka”, as also listed on IMDb.

Abu Hayat Mahmud shared: “We plan to start filming mid-November. Before that, we are finalising all pre-production work. The cinematographer plays a key role in our planning. Our discussions in India focused on shoot schedules and cinematography for both domestic and international locations.”

This will be Mahmud’s first full-length feature as a director. The film’s tagline is “I Am Kala”, and its plot draws heavily on real events from Dhaka’s 1990s underworld, with the notorious figure Kala Jahangir forming a central narrative thread. Shakib Khan will play the lead role, but the actor for Kala Jahangir is yet to be finalised, with speculation suggesting Mosharraf Karim, though no confirmation has been made.

Mahmud noted: “While the story revolves around Dhaka’s underworld, Mosharraf Karim’s involvement is still tentative. We are discussing this role with multiple actors. No cast member is finalised yet.”

The film includes three important female roles: one will be a newcomer, another a theatre actress, and the third an established film actress. The director has chosen not to reveal their names yet.

He concluded: “Filming is confirmed for mid-November. Casting will be completed within this month, and rehearsals will begin shortly after.”

This visit highlights cross-border collaboration and networking in South Asian cinema, bridging Bangladeshi and Indian film industries while creating anticipation for Shakib Khan’s upcoming blockbuster.