Farhan will surprise in 'Lucknow Central': Nikkhil

Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani says actor Farhan Akhtar will be seen in a new avatar in his upcoming production "Lucknow Central".

Set against the backdrop of a jail, "Lucknow Central" features Farhan as a prisoner who forms a band along with other jail inmates.

"It's a strong, emotional and dramatic film about jail escape. It is also about dreams and aspirations, innocence and guilt. There is a lot of hope and it will make one believe in the human spirit. Farhan has given a great performance in the film," Advani told PTI.

Directed by debutant Ranjit Tiwari, "Lucknow Central" is inspired by the true story of convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in the Lucknow Central Jail, who start a band.

Advani says when Ranjit came up with the idea, the team jumped at it and he immediately came on board as producer.

"Ranjit came to me with a newspaper article about five inmates who wanted to escape prison and created a band. What happened subsequently to them and what is still going on is the story. It is inspired by a true story and it is a fascinating tale."

Actress Kriti Sanon was supposed to feature in the film but couldn't do it due to date issues and the makers then roped in Diana Penty.

"We spoke to her (Kriti) but we couldn't match dates with her because 'Raabta' got pushed and we needed to start," Advani says.

Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Advani's Emmay Entertainment and Motion Pictures, the film is gearing up for a September 15 release.

Adavni says with his production house, Emmay, completing six years, he is happy that audience has liked their films and he aims to make "thought-provoking cinema."

"With 'Lucknow Central', we have launched another director who will give quality films. We really want to come up with diverse content and push the envelope," he says.

While he was producing movies, Advani also directed the TV series "POW" for Star Plus, which was his foray on the small screen. The show failed to garner positive response from the audience.

"We shot more than 100 episodes for the show and it was quite an experience. But yes, when you talk about TRPs, of course, it is frustrating, but at the end of the day it is mathematics.