Akshay Kumar Steps Into Sci-Fi Thriller Territory with Ambitious New Project ‘Samuk’

Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has officially begun filming for his latest project, Samuk, a survival-action thriller that marks a bold departure from his usual repertoire. The film is set to dive into alien-themed, high-stakes science fiction, aiming to establish itself as one of the most ambitious theatrical spectacles to emerge from the Indian film industry.

A Long-Awaited Reunion

The project marks a significant reunion between Akshay Kumar and producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah. The duo, who have previously delivered massive hits, are collaborating for the first time in 13 years.

“After a gap of 13 years, starting a new journey with Akshay Kumar today is a very, very joyful, happy and proud moment for all of us,” Shah shared in an interview with Variety India. “The ambition to create something better and bigger every single time with Akshay Sir has been the hallmark of our journey. We have challenged each other in many ways to keep pushing ourselves, and this time, the challenge is bigger than ever.”

World-Building and Global Scale

Development for Samuk has been underway for over two years. Directed by Kanishk Varma—whose resume includes acclaimed titles such as Shoorveer, Inside Edge S3, and Sanak—the film is designed as a pan-Indian theatrical release with a clear vision for global appeal.

Varma and Shah have reportedly spent the development phase crafting a complex world that seamlessly blends military realism, survival horror, and extraterrestrial mythology.

Global Talent Behind the Lens

To ensure the film reaches international standards, the production has enlisted world-class technical talent. In a major coup for the production, Academy Award-nominated creature effects designer Alec Gillis has been brought on board. Gillis, celebrated for his iconic work on the Alien and Predator franchises, as well as the recent Alien: Romulus, has been tasked with designing the film’s central extraterrestrial entity.

Complementing the creature work is British action director Luke Tumber, who has been appointed to choreograph the film’s high-octane sequences. His involvement aims to infuse Samuk with a physically intense, gritty style of combat that will be central to the movie’s survivalist narrative.

As filming kicks off, Samuk is already being positioned as a landmark project that fuses Indian cinematic scale with global production sensibilities, setting the stage for what producers hope will be a genre-defining experience for audiences worldwide.