Banita Sandhu joins Akshay Kumar’s Samuk as environmentalist

Banita Sandhu’s next stop is the kind of project Bollywood fans circle on a calendar. The actor, known to Hindi audiences for October and Sardar Udham, has joined Akshay Kumar in Samuk, a science-fiction action-survival thriller directed by Kanishk Varma.

Her casting adds an international texture to the ensemble. Sandhu also appeared in Netflix’s Bridgerton and Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga, and now moves into franchise-scale genre filmmaking with one of Hindi cinema’s biggest action stars.

Who Banita plays

Variety India first reported the broad shape of her role: she plays a British-born Indian environmentalist who is pulled into a mission she never planned to join. The producers are keeping the rest of her arc under wraps, but the film is expected to give her character a significant place in the story.

Beyond the casting news, the production is deliberately quiet. Samuk has been in the works for more than two years, with the makers assembling a large cast while guarding the plot.

The team behind Samuk

Vipul Amrutlal Shah produces under Sunshine Pictures, with Aashin A. Shah as co-producer. The project reunites Shah and Akshay Kumar after more than a decade, and director Kanishk Varma arrives with genre credentials from Sanak and Inside Edge.

The ensemble includes Rukmini Maitra, Viineet Kumar Siingh, Rajat Kapoor, Swanand Kirkire and Sushant Singh. Here is what we know so far:

• Banita Sandhu plays a British-born Indian environmentalist.
• The UK shoot has wrapped, and Mumbai is the final leg.
• The team is targeting a theatrical release in 2027.

Why the behind-the-scenes names matter

Samuk is not relying only on CGI. Academy Award-nominated creature effects designer Alec Gillis, whose credits include Alien and Predator, is associated with the film, while British action director Luke Tumber is handling the action sequences. That practical, survival-driven approach could give the film a tactile edge that Hindi sci-fi has rarely attempted.

What comes next

With the overseas schedule wrapped, the production heads to Mumbai for its final stretch. For fans, this means the slow burn of a 2027 theatrical release, with character details likely to stay hidden until the team is ready to reveal more.

Source: The Times of India