The London schedule of SAMUK is offering an early glimpse into the scale and filmmaking approach behind Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s upcoming project starring Akshay Kumar.
For one of the film’s major sequences, the production required a helicopter. While such scenes can often be created with replicas, controlled sets or digital effects, the SAMUK team has taken a more practical route. A real helicopter has been brought into the production and is being filmed over multiple days.
The decision underlines the emphasis being placed on creating a convincing physical environment for the film rather than depending entirely on post-production techniques.
With SAMUK, Vipul Amrutlal Shah is also moving into a genre space considerably different from his previous work. Developed over more than two years, the project brings several cinematic elements together, including science fiction, survival drama, action, horror and alien mythology.
The film’s technical ambitions are reflected in the international talent working behind the scenes as well. Creature-effects specialist Alec Gillis, whose credits are connected with the Alien and Predator franchises, is part of the team, alongside British action specialist Luke Tumber.
The combination suggests an effort to marry international technical expertise with the storytelling scale and sensibilities of mainstream Indian cinema.
For Shah, spectacle appears to be as much about what happens during production as what is eventually enhanced on screen. Bringing practical elements into the shoot, particularly for demanding action and science-fiction sequences, is intended to give the actors and filmmakers a more tangible environment to work within.
SAMUK also marks another chapter in the long creative association between Akshay Kumar and Vipul Amrutlal Shah. The film is their seventh collaboration, but its alien-driven survival setting takes the actor-filmmaker partnership into territory they have not explored together before.
From practical filmmaking and international specialists to an unusual blend of genres, SAMUK is shaping up as an ambitious departure for the team.
And with its London schedule putting that ambition into action, Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s commitment to the project is already becoming visible well before the film arrives on the big screen.