Is Rukmini Maitra Set to Join Akshay Kumar's Sci-Fi Thriller 'Samuk'?

Mumbai: The rumour mill around Akshay Kumar's upcoming sci-fi actioner Samuk just got a fresh spin. Word on the street is that Bengali cinema's Rukmini Maitra could be joining the cast - and if it pans out, it'll be one of the more interesting crossover casting calls of the year.

Sources close to the production suggest Maitra is currently in talks with the team for a role that carries real weight in the story. Nothing's locked in yet - no official word from the makers or the actress herself - but insiders say the part being discussed is meaty: the kind that demands presence, intensity, and range rather than a passing cameo.

Samuk itself has been on the radar for a while now, thanks to its ambitious genre mash-up and the scale of its production. Helmed by director Kanishk Varma and backed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah's Sunshine Pictures (with Aashin A. Shah co-producing), the film is currently deep into a UK shooting schedule. It's being positioned as a big-canvas outing - one that fuses science fiction with action and survival drama.

There's also a nice bit of history attached to this one: Samuk reunites Akshay Kumar with producer Vipul Shah for the first time in nearly 13 years, a pairing that's previously delivered hits and is now returning with something far more experimental.

If the Maitra casting does get confirmed, it'll mark a notable Bollywood entry for the actress, who's built a strong following in Bengali films. For now, though, it stays firmly in rumour territory - fans will have to wait for the makers to make it official.

Samuk is currently slated for a 2027 release.