Dhallywood superstar Shakib Khan is looking beyond both Bangladesh and India in search of his next on-screen partner, setting his sights on a Pakistani actress.
Following recent pairings with Indian heroines like Subhashree Ganguly, Srabanti Chatterjee, Sayantika Banerjee and most recently, Idhika Paul in Priyotoma, Shakib appears eager to experiment with fresh international faces.
The megastar currently has several films in the pipeline. Among them, ‘Toofan 2’ is officially confirmed. The film is a joint production between India’s SVF and Bangladesh’s Alpha-i Entertainment, with a targeted release during next year’s Eid-ul-Fitr.
In addition to Toofan 2, Shakib has several other projects in various stages of development, helmed by directors Sakib Farhad, Mehedi Hasan Hridoy, Asif Akbar and Abu Hayat Mahmud. According to industry sources, Shakib has reportedly urged all these directors and producers to arrange meetings with Pakistani actresses for potential casting.
Director Abu Hayat Mahmud and producer Shirin Sultana have reportedly been in talks with several Pakistani stars such as Saba Qamar, Maya Ali and Mahira Khan.
Initially, Indian Bengali actress Madhumita Sarcar was being considered for the role. At one point, even Bollywood icon Priyanka Chopra’s name also surfaced. However, Shakib has now turned his attention toward actresses from Pakistan.
Speaking to the Times of Bangladesh, Abu Hayat Mahmud confirmed the casting process is still underway. “We’re currently developing the story and screenplay. Shakib Khan is the only confirmed cast member so far. We’ve spoken with several actresses, both local and international. Final decisions will be announced in due time,” he said.
Behind this shift towards Pakistani actresses lies a mix of strategic market ambition and fan demand. Many fans have even posted on social media, particularly in Shakib’s Facebook fan groups, expressing their desire to see him pair up with a Pakistani actress. These fan posts caught Shakib’s attention, prompting him to instruct the directors accordingly.
According to close sources of the actor, Shakib is interested in making a romantic film centred around a cross-border pairing, hoping to tap into both audience sentiment and market potential.
Although ‘Toofan’ was dubbed in Urdu and released in Pakistan, it did not perform well commercially. Shakib believes that casting a Pakistani actress could help bridge that gap. He hopes to replicate the kind of overseas success that Bangladeshi films are currently enjoying in the US, Europe and Australia — this time in Pakistan.