Sharmila's loss is Poonam's gain

National Award Winner director Abhay Simha, was on a look out for a heroine who could fit the bill opposite Mammootty. It was offered to Sharmila Mandre but she was unable to give the dates. Abhay’s next choice was Poonam Bajwa, who has acted in Telugu and Tamil films like Modati Cinema and

Drohi, for which she had received rave reviews. Says producer K Manju, “Yes, we did take our time to find the female lead but only because we didn’t want to compromise on anything. We were looking for a talented actress who could match up with Mammootty’s skills and after watching many of Poonam’s films, we decided to sign her.”

Incidentally, Poonam has also done a Kannada film Thangigaagi with Darshan. “She fits the role perfectly as she can do both glamourous and traditional roles very well. She has already started shooting for the second schedule with us,” says Manju.

The second schedule of the film is being shot in Theerthalli and Malnad. “The entire team is there in Theerthalli where they are shooting in a 135-year-old house. It’s a great location and there is a certain charm about the house. The entire crew is having loads of fun and soon they will shift to Malnad. The shoot for the second schedule will last till end of October,” says Manju.

Shikari is a film about a software engineer who falls in love with a character in a novel.
The bilingual will see the lead pair in a double role. “It will be a huge canvas for the actress but I have faith that she will do justice to the part,” he adds.