‘Lioness’ with Aditi Rao Hydari and Paige Sandhu to Co-star UK and India – Deadline

historical feature film Lionessstarring Aditi Rao Hydari (Anniversary) and paige sandhu (emmerdale), has been established as the first official co-production between India and the United Kingdom under a treaty signed in 2008.

Directed by Kajri Babbar, the film tells the story of two Punjabi British women living in the UK a century apart.

One story is based on a historical figure, Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, Princess of Punjab and goddaughter of Queen Victoria, who was one of the key leaders of the suffragette movement in the UK.

The second fictional story revolves around an educated and married immigrant woman, Mehak, living in Southall, a suburb of London, in the 1990s.

Princess Sofia will be played by British actress of Indian origin Paige Sandhu, best known for her role on the British soap opera. emmerdale. Mehak will be played by Aditi Rao Hydari, who works in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films, and also stars in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Prime Video series. Anniversary.

The film’s producers include Vivek Rangachari, Vaishalli Paatil, Faraz Ahsan and Clare Cahill, with Ajit Pal Singh serving as executive producer. Babbar is making his feature film debut in the movie after the shorts. khoj (2019) and Pardaa (2017).

Peter Bance, the historian whose research on Princess Sofia inspired the project, is also an executive producer on the film.

The film has been certified as an official co-production by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) of India and the British Film Institute (BFI).

Rao Hydari said, “I was instantly drawn to the story that brings the life and legacy of an extraordinary woman to the screen; a story lost in history. While Princess Sofia is a hero in the truest sense of the word, Mehak is an equally strong character whose journey parallels the Lionessit is in the present.”

Paige said: “It is an honor and a dream come true to play Princess Sophia Duleep Singh. I am so honored to play someone with a legacy like hers, the work she did, the lives she helped, and the family she comes from.”

Harjinder Kang, UK Trade Commissioner for South Asia, said: “It’s great to see the first official project under the India-UK co-production treaty underway. There is enormous potential for deeper collaboration between the creative industries of both countries. I am pleased that the first project in this initiative explores one aspect of the unique living bridge that connects our people.”

English Heritage will present a blue plaque at Hampton Court in London in Sophia’s memory on May 26. British filmmaker Gurinder Chadha is one of the keynote speakers at the event.