Cricketer Sreesanth to Make Bollywood Debut in Pooja Bhatt's 'Cabaret'

Cricketer S Sreesanth is all set to make his acting debut with filmmaker Pooja Bhatt's next production venture, titled "Cabaret".

The film revolves around the lead actress, Richa Chadda, who plays a dancer, while the former Indian pacer will play the role of a Malayali mentor to Chadda.

Sreesanth, who plays a significant role in the film, accepted the offer with a signing amount of ₹5 lakh, reported Mumbai Mirror.

Reportedly, it was the film's executive producer Sonu Lakhwani, who suggested the cricketer's name.

Sreesanth who hails from Kerala, speaks Hindi with a Malayali accent, which is the criteria of the script too. Moreover, his look in the film will be exactly the same as that of his wedding photos. Therefore, it didn't take much time for the makers to bring the cricketer on board the project.

"I cast him on my instinct. Initially we had thought of casting someone who is older but when I saw him I felt he is perfect for the role. The character is very close to his persona. I have asked him to retain his Malayali accent. Sreesanth is a natural performer, he is camera friendly and I have a gut feeling that the film will do him good," Bhatt told PTI.

Bhatt also believes that with "Cabaret", Sreesanth will be able to regain his lost respect from the fans after being banned for life for his alleged involvement in IPL spot-fixing.

"I have met him before but I must say that he is a different man today. He has gone through so much in his life. He has tasted the peak of success and then he went to hell and back. But there is still a lot of fire in him. I think he wants to prove to people, who have written him off," Bhatt added.

Co-produced by T-Series and directed by debutante Kaustav Narayan Niyogi, "Cabaret" is expected to go on floors in January 2015.