Badhon starts her Bollywood journey

Actress Azmeri Haque Badhon is making her way into Bollywood as she has been roped in for director Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming spy-thriller ‘Khufiya’.

‘Khufiya’ will mark her debut in Bollywood as well as in streaming giant Netflix.

Confirming the news to The Business Post on Thursday, Badhon said that she has already started shooting for her first schedule in ‘Khufiya’ from October 11. “I came to Delhi on October 10 and started shooting for the film from the next day,” she said.

Vishal Bhardwaj also made the disclosure of casting Bahon in ‘Khufiya’ on Thursday. “So delighted to have this gorgeous actor from Bangladesh,” he wrote in an Instagram post sharing a photo with Badhon.

Netflix project ‘Khufiya’ also has Tabu, Ali Fazal, Ashish Vidyarthi and Wamiqa Gabbi in various roles, for which a 2:05-minute teaser was released by the streaming platform on September 26.

Talking about the film and her character in the film, Badhon said, “Definitely, I have liked my character in this film and that’s why I have agreed to work in the project. If I talk about my co-actor in this film, I like Tabu very much, not only as an actor, also as a human being. She is a great actor obviously. Also as a person, I am very fond of her. It feels great that I am collaborating with an actor like her.

“There are many types of films in Bollywood. But Vishal Bhardwaj’s works are always of very different tracks. He always makes very different films which become very realistic. I am very fond of his works. It makes delighted that I am having the working experience with a director like him,” she added.

“I am feeling a difference working here. The way Vishal Bhardwaj’s team is organised, respect to actors, maintenance—all are done with very professional ways. It’s a whole new experience for me. I am enjoying it,” added Badhon.

Badhon informed The Business Post that she will be staying in India until the end of October. Meanwhile, she also has been given the date for her second schedule of shooting in next year.

Spy-thriller ‘Khufiya’ is inspired by true events and based on the popular espionage novel ‘Escape to Nowhere’ by Amar Bhushan of India.

Announced by Netflix in September, ‘Khufiya’ is both directed and produced by Vishal Bhardwaj under his Vishal Bhardwaj Films banner. He also co-scripted the film with Rohan Narula.

After the announcement of the film, Bhardwaj said in a statement, “With Khufiya, my attempt is to create an edgy espionage film that contrasts the slow burn of intelligence & surveillance work with one’s deep rooted emotional conflicts.”

Vishal Bhardwaj is one of Bollywood’s most acclaimed filmmakers who is known for Shakespeare adaptations ‘Maqbool’, ‘Omkara’ and ‘Haider’, as well as cult classic ‘Kaminey’ and ‘7 Khoon Maaf’.

As for Azmeri Haque Badhon, the actress hit headlines Wednesday after she was nominated along with actresses from Russia, Israel, Australia and New Zealand for her role in Abdullah Mohammad Saad directorial ‘Rehana Maryam Noor’. The film was screened at the prestigious ‘Un Certain Regard’ section of the 74th Cannes Film Festival.

Badhon was recently seen in Indian director Srijit Mukerji’s web series titled ‘Robindronath Ekhane Kawkhono Khete Aashenni’ which was released on over-the-top platform Hoichoi.

Earlier, speculations were doing rounds on the internet that Badhon would be taking onboard ‘Khufiya’ after two other Bangladeshi actresses—Bidya Sinha Mim and Mehazabien Chowdhury reportedly declined to star in the film after they were approached for the same role earlier this year.

Mim and Mehazabien turned town the proposals separately for having ‘’inappropriate representation” of Bangladesh in the film of political genre.