Anubhav Sinha pays respect to Begum Akhtar

Lucknow, March 15 (IANS) Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha paid his respect to legendary ghazal queen Begum Akhtar here and said it was a gratifying experience.

He took the team of his film "Article 15" to the cemetery where she lies buried.

"Begum Akhtar was my childhood crush. She was the reason I started my never-ending journey into the world of Urdu," Sinha said in a statement.

"After so many years, I got the opportunity to pay my respect to both of them along with my entire cast of 'Article 15'. It was such a gratifying experience," he added.

Sinha is currently shooting his next "Article 15" in Uttar Pradesh. Actor Ayushmann Khurrana will be seen essaying the role of a police officer in the film.

The actor said the film has given him a "true test of my love for my craft".

"We're in the middle of shooting 'Article 15'... Yesterday, we had a challenging day - a shot required us to enter into a swamp and do a gripping scene," he posted on Twitter on Friday.

"We realised that the swamp was filled with leeches only when we were in the middle of the shot. I would like to salute my brave team of investigative officers (it's an honour to act with these talented actors) for finishing the scene despite a vicious leech attack," Ayushmann added.

In the film, while Khurrana will essay the principal protagonist, the supporting cast comprises Isha Talwar, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Kumud Mishra, M. Nasser, Ashish Verma, Sushil Pandey, Subrajyoti Bharat, Ronjini Chakraborty and Zeeshan Ayub.

Article 15 of the Indian Constitution is about prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. The film, produced by Benaras Media Works, went on the floors on March 1.