Disha Patani joins cast of 'Bharat'

Disha Patani has been roped in for Salman Khan-Priyanka Chopra-starrer "Bharat".

The "Baaghi 2" actor will play the role of a trapeze artist in circus set in the 1960s.

The circus segment is director Ali Abbas Zafar's ode to legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor, who presented the cult film "Mera Naam Joker", a press release said.

"I'm excited to be a part of 'Bharat', it's like a dream come true to get an opportunity to work with Salman sir and I can't wait for the journey to begin. I am a big fan of Ali Abbas sir's work," Patani said in a statement.

"Looking forward to step into the shoes of a #TrapezeArtiste...Thank you for this challenge @BeingSalmanKhan @aliabbaszafar @atulreellife @priyankachopra #Bharat it is!" she shared on Twitter.

Salman also tweeted to welcome his co-star on board.

"Welcome @DishPatani to the journey of @Bharat_TheFilm," he wrote.

The director said the actor was the perfect choice for the role.

"The pairing of Salman and Disha in a circus set-up in the '60s is unusual and exciting. She is a promising star and for this character, we needed a girl who looked vulnerable and beautiful yet had the physicality of an athlete. Disha fit the bill perfectly," Zafar said.

The film, which is an official adaptation of 2014 Korean film, "Ode to My Father", also stars Sunil Grover.

It will be shot across locations in Abu Dhabi and Spain, besides Punjab and Delhi in India.

Produced by Atul Agnihotri's Reel Life Production Pvt. Ltd and Bhushan Kumar's T- series, "Bharat" releases during Eid in 2019.