Saand Ki Aankh: Taapsee Pannu says film's Diwali release is 'progressive' as festive weekend is usually dominated by male stars

Taapsee Pannu will be seen opposite Bhumi Pednekar in the upcoming Saand Ki Aankh. The sports drama will close the Jio MAMI 21th Mumbai Film Festival with Star and will have a theatrical release on 25 October. Taapsee told Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) that Saand Ki Aankh's Diwali release is a "bold and progressive move" as festival weekends are usually dominated by male-led titles.

Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar in a still from Saand Ki Aankh

Saand Ki Aankh chronicles the journey of the world's oldest sharpshooters, Chandro (86) and Prakashi Tomar (82). The film will face competition from Akshay Kumar's comedy Housefull 4 and Rajkummar Rao-starrer Made in China at the domestic box office.

"Female-led films are doing great these days because the audience has responded positively to that kind of cinema. But this (Saand Ki Aankh) is the story of two elderly women (sharpshooters Chandro and Prakashi Tomar). This has rarely happened on a Diwali, which is mainly dominated by Bollywood's male stars. It is a strong move by the producers to release a film like Saand Ki Aankh on Diwali. This is a bold and progressive move," said the actress.

Saand Ki Aankh also features director Prakash Jha and Mukkabaaz actor Viineet Singh in pivotal roles. Set in the hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh, the film went on floors in Meerut in February. Originally titled Womaniya, the film was renamed Saand Ki Aankh, following a title rights dispute.

The film received some backlash for not casting actors who would have been closer in age to the characters. Neena Gupta and Soni Razdan had expressed their disappointment for not being approached for the roles.

Saand Ki Aankh is jointly produced by Anurag Kashyap and Nidhi Parmar. It will also mark the directorial debut of writer Tushar Hiranandani, who has penned the dialogues of Main Tera Hero, Ek Villain, and Half Girlfriend.