Aamir Khan urged me to do Nagraj Manjule's 'Jhund': Amitabh Bachchan

Mumbai: Amitabh Bachchan Thursday said his 'Thugs of Hindostan' co-star Aamir Khan asked him to take up Nagraj Manjule's next 'Jhund'. 

Bachchan will play the role of a professor who builds a soccer team with street kids in 'Jhund', which is the 'Sairat' helmer's first Hindi directorial.

"I remember, when I discussed that with Aamir, he told me I must do this film. And you know what happens when Aamir endorses something... So I am doing that," Bachchan told reporters. "We will start working on the film from November. It is a real-life story. It is about underprivileged children and those staying in slums, a sporting team is made with these bunch of actors," he added.

The actor was speaking at the trailer launch of 'Thugs of Hindostan'.

'Thugs of Hindostan' brings together two powerhouse performers - Bachchan and Khan on screen for the first time. The duo was earlier supposed to star in "Rishta" years ago, but the project never took off. 

Bachchan will commence shooting for the film from November. The 75-year-old actor will embark on the film with a non-stop schedule in Nagpur, after wrapping up his ongoing game show, 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'.

"I chose the city of Nagpur because the story is based there. I wanted the look and feel to be as authentic as possible and Nagpur has its own unique charm, feel and locales, different from Mumbai and Pune. The language of the film would be best showcased in Nagpur, hence I chose the lanes of that city," Manjule said in a statement.

The director said teaming up with Bachchan is a "dream come true".

The total shoot duration of the film is of 70-80 days, where Bachchan will shoot for 45 days straight in Nagpur. The street children, who are now trained, will meet the actor and rehearse with him for two-three days before the shoot. 

'Jhund' is produced by Bhushan Kumar's T-Series, Savita Raj Hiremath, Nagraj Manjule under the banner of T-Series Films, Taandav Films Entertainment Ltd.