When actor Sundeep Kishan and his unit recently left for Mohali to spend ten days shooting the climax portions of A1 Express, he didn’t know that the chosen location was very significant.
“After coming here, we were told that this was the same stadium where Shah Rukh Khan and his team shot the climax of Chak De 13 years back; that’s an incredible coincidence,” shares an excited Sundeep.
A1 Express had another similarity with the SRK-starrer. “We shot with the hockey coach who had also acted in Chak De,” he says.
“Since this is the first film based on hockey in the South, we wanted to give the audience the best experience by filming at the best locations,” Sundeep says, adding that he had always wanted to shoot at India’s biggest and most-expensive hockey stadium.
The sequence was shot with a large crew. All the hockey episodes were shot live using five cameras. “It was so challenging, but we are glad that we pulled out all stops. I have to thank my producers Vishwa Prasad and Abhishek Aggarwal,” explains the Tiger star.
A huge fan of SRK and Dhoni, Sundeep says he has paid tribute to both in the film. “You have to watch out for them,” he smiles, adding, “I sport Jersey No: 7 since Dhoni wears a jersey with that number.”
The actor says he has been living the character for over a year. “In the process, I have realised that the time I have allotted for this film was worth it,” he says.
Next, Sundeep will team up with G Nageshwar Reddy. “It’s quirky action comedy,” the actor says adding, “I need some time to prepare for the role.”