Nawazuddin Siddiqui to headline Ishan Sharma’s feature directorial debut ‘Kabootar’

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is set to star in filmmaker Ishan Sharma’s feature directorial debut, Kabootar.

Produced by Nikhil Chaudhary of MDC Filmworks, Kabootar is an India-France-Norway co-production involving MDC Filmworks, France-based Haiku Films and Norway’s Rein Film. Rohit Saxena serves as the co-producer from India, according to a press release.

Set against the crumbling architecture and layered world of Old Delhi, Kabootar follows Mehboob, a street detective who secretly reads letters written to a Djinn in search of prospective clients.

His path crosses with Naoko, a Japanese tourist carrying the weight of a painful past, and Ruby, a young child searching for his parents.

Talking about the film, Chaudhary called Siddiqui an “actor of extraordinary range”.

“He can be dangerous in Gangs of Wasseypur and heartbreakingly gentle in ‘The Lunchbox.’ He’s also one of the few Indian actors with a real international presence. His films have gone to Cannes multiple times, and he has been nominated for an International Emmy,” Chaudhary said in a statement.

“For an India-France-Norway co-production, which matters enormously in taking Kabootar to audiences around the world. Just as important, he knows Delhi intimately. For Ishan and I, this film is a love letter to the city, and we needed an actor who could understand it, feel it and embody it. He does all three,” he added.