Mrunal Thakur, Priyanshu Painyuli to star with Ishaan Khatter in war drama 'Pippa'

In the film, Ishaan plays Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta. The film is directed by "Airlift" maker Raja Krishna Menon.

The war drama will have Mrunal and Priyanshu in the roles of Ishaan's reel siblings and Razdan as their mother.

"With Mrunal and Priyanshu joining Ishaan, we have three of the most exciting young actors coming together. Personally, I'm very excited to work with such extraordinary young talent and look forward to the energy they bring to 'Pippa'," said Menon.

Veteran Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta of the 45th Cavalry tank squadron, along with his siblings, fought on the eastern front during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, and the film recounts his story. It is based on his book, "The Burning Chaffees".

The film's title highlights the Russian war tank PT-76, popularly known as "Pippa". The project portrays the coming-of-age of a young Mehta as well as of India. It is co-produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur.

"We were looking for great actors who would complement each other to create a believable family unit, and with Mrunal, Priyanshu and Razdan on board to join Ishaan, I am happy that we have more than achieved what we set out to do with the casting," Roy Kapur said while giving a sneak peek into the casting process.

To this, Screwvala added: "'Pippa' is a story that chronicles an Indian victory in 1971 through the eyes of the Mehta family and signing on fine actors to essay the members of this brave family was our foremost priority. I'm glad we have talented actors like Mrunal and Priyanshu on board, who along with Ishaan will spearhead this story of triumph that needs to be told."

"Pippa" is slated to hit theatres late next year.