Pankaj Tripathi mentors Alia Bhatt for 'Udta Punjab'

Actor Pankaj Tripathi says he has helped actress Alia Bhatt to learn the Bihari accent for her role in the forthcoming crime thriller film "Udta Punjab".

Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, the film, which also stars Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh, features Alia as a migrant Bihari labourer.

"Abhishek Chaubey is a good friend of mine. He asked me to help Alia prepare for her role of a Bihari girl. I taught her the language. As Alia has lived in an urban surrounding, it was a bit challenging for her to speak with a Bihari accent," Pankaj, best known for his roles in films like "Gangs of Wasseypur", "Omkara" and "Singham Returns", told IANS.

"Though it was a difficult job, Alia was a very hard working student. She used to practice speaking Bihari at home. She is a very dedicated and hard working actress. It took around one month to prepare her for her role."

"I'm sure when the film will release, people will get to see a totally different avatar of Alia and will love it," Pankaj added.

Will we get to see Pankaj in the film?

Pankaj, who can currently be seen in "Nil Battey Sannata", said: "No, I haven't played any role in 'Udta Punjab', but I must say that Abhishek is a prolific director."

"Udta Punjab" is slated to release on June 17.