Srijit Mukherji has little time for a breather. Only days after wrapping up the shoot of Shabaash Mithu, the filmmaker has kicked off his next, Sherdil, with Pankaj Tripathi. The film's idea came to him after he read a news article about poverty-stricken villagers living near the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, who were suspected of sending their elderly family members to the forest as tiger prey so that they could claim compensation.

The idea, shocking as it was, piqued Tripathi's interest as soon as he heard the script narration. The joy of working with Mukherji was another reason to give his nod to Sherdil. Currently shooting in Darjeeling, Tripathi says the noted director is every actor's dream come true. 'Srijit needs no introduction. His work speaks for itself. When Sherdil was offered to me, I jumped at the idea. It is a beautifully written script, and I trust Srijit to bring each character to life convincingly.'

The satire, also starring Neeraj Kabi and Sayani Gupta, was originally slated to roll in 2020, but had to be deferred due to the pandemic. Mukherji says he couldn't envision anyone except Tripathi to play the protagonist mdash a villager who voluntarily goes to the forest. 'Pankaj is one of the finest actors in the country today. Having him on set is half the battle won. He is always excited to try new things and improvise,' says the director.