Dabangg 3: Saqib Saleem to play the villain in the Salman Khan film?

After Hrs had on June 10 reported that Salman Khan’s Dabangg 3 is inspired by a real life cop from Noida and the movie is set in Ghaziabad. We now hear that the film will also be shot in the NCR. Interestingly, this will be the first time a Dabangg film will be shot in North India. Even though the first two instalments were set in UP — Dabangg in Laalgunj and Dabangg 2 in Kanpur — both were shot extensively in Wai, Maharashtra.

Says our source, “The idea is to make Dabangg 3 more realistic and take it a few notches above the previous instalments in every possible way. Since the story is based on a real cop, the film’s makers felt that shooting in a North Indian city like Ghaziabad would add to the storytelling. Moreover, the city is being treated like a character in the movie. While the previous films in the franchise  have been shot in Wai, shooting in Ghaziabad will also give the third outing a different and fresh look.”

Given the importance of the villain in the stories, producer Arbaaz Khan and director Prabhudheva are not looking to cast the usual suspects. As our source adds, “This time around, the film’s makers are looking to cast someone who doesn’t have an image and can add a certain edginess and unpredictability to the role. Instead of a familiar face, they are looking to cast a relatively newer face.” But there are rumours that Saqib Saleem is playing the antagonist.

Salman is currently overseas for The Da-Bangg Reloaded Tour. After his return, he will shoot for Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bharat till late August. Dabangg 3 is scheduled to start on September 16 and is slated to release next year.