Mohalla Assi is an upcoming 2011 Bollywood

Bollywood

Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

 film starring Sunny Deol

Sunny Deol

Sunny Deol often credited as "Action King of Bollywood" is an Indian film actor, producer and director. Deol was born to Bollywood actor Dharmendra. He has won two National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards. He went to England to study acting...

, and directed by Chandra Prakash Dwivedi who previously directed Pinjar

Pinjar (film)

Pinjar is a 2003 film about Hindu-Muslim problems during the time around the partition of India. The film is based on a Punjabi novel by the same name, written by Amrita Pritam...

(2003), starring Urmila Matondkar and Manoj Bajpai

Manoj Bajpai

Manoj Bajpai , also credited as Manoj Bajpayee, is an Indian film actor, known for playing offbeat and unconventional roles. He first shot into fame with his breakthrough role in Ram Gopal Varma's 1998 film Satya.-Early life:...

, and most known for television epic Chanakya

Chanakya (TV series)

Chanakya is a 47-part Indian television historical drama written and directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi that was originally telecast on DD National from September 1991 to August 1992...

.

The film is based on Dr. Kashinath Singh's popular Hindi novel Kashi Ka Assi. Assi Ghat

Assi Ghat

Assi Ghat is the southernmost ghat in Varanasi. To most visitors to Varanasi, it is known for being a place where long-term foreign students, researchers, and tourists live.-Tourism at Assi Ghat:...

 is a ghat

Ghat

Ghat is the capital of the Ghat District in the Fezzan region of southwestern Libya.-History:In historical times, Ghat was a major terminal point on the Trans-Saharan trade route and a major administrative center in the Fezzan...

 in Varanasi

Varanasi

-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...

 (Banaras) on the banks of Ganges River

Ganges River

The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...

, and the film is based in a famous and historical 'Mohalla' (locality) by the ghat, on the southern end of Banaras. Also starring Ravi Kishen and Sakshi Tanwar, the film is set in the post-independence period, and is slated to release in August 2011.

Sunny Deol plays the lead role of Sanskrit teacher and an orthodox religious priest (Pundit).mritunjay rai of his brother, while Sakshi Tanwar plays his wife.

Development

"Sunny is determined to do justice to every aspect of his role, including his look. He will be donning the full garb of a pundit, all the way from the typical 'dhoti', 'kurta', 'gamcha', 'kolhapuri chappals'...right down to the 'choti' on his head," Dwivedi said.

Speaking about his new look, Sunny said, "the script of 'Mohalla Assi' is very different and interesting, especially the character I play is very unique- its not quite like anything I have played yet. You will see me in an entirely new avatar. It's true that I will be playing a pundit; therefore, I will be dressed in clothes that are typical for a pundit, with a 'choti' to complete the look."

Dwivedi said the movie is a satire and Sunny just seemed like someone that could do justice to the character, as he has proven to play serious roles equally as good as he plays comic roles.

Production

The film went into shooting at sets erected at the Film City

Film City

Film City is an integrated film studio complex situated near Sanjay Gandhi National Park at Goregaon, Mumbai in India. It has several recording rooms, gardens, lakes, theatres and grounds that serve as the venue of many Bollywood film shootings. It was built by the state government to provide...

, Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

on January 28, 2011.