EXCLUSIVE: What Salman Khan-Akshay Kumar film is about and why Ajay Devgn won't be happy with it

The startling partnership among Salman Khan, Karan Johar and Akshay Kumar announced on Monday with Salman and Karan co-producing a film that will star Akshay, is great news for the box office. But not so great news for Ajay Devgn for, Akshay plays Havaldar Ishar Singh, the military commander of  21 Sikh soldiers during British India who on 12 September 1897 during what came to be famously known as the Battle Of Saragarhi led his men through a deathly  battle against thousands of Afghani invaders.

Devgan is also expected to  play the same valorous Sikh  character Ishar Singh in ambitious epic project announced last year. Devgn’s  film entitled Sons Of Sardar Battle Of Saragarhi was announced by the actor-producer-director as his next big project after Shivaay.
 
But with Shivaay under-performing at the box office, the budget required to make this epic historical may prove prohibitive for Devgan. But  sources say Devgan is determined to make the film, come what may.
 
Akshay’s affinity to  the Sikh community and to playing turbaned heroes is well known. He has starred in Singh Is Kinng and Singh Is Bling as a Sardaar character It remains to be seen of Ajay Devgn will still go ahead with this film, now that his buddy Salman Khan has announced it. 

Raj Kumar Santoshi’s proposed film on the Battle Of Sargarhi with Randeep Hooda is also on the same subject but it never went beyond an announcement. It is likely to join the long list of shelved Santoshi films in recent years.