Obama drops the bomb on Kabir Khan's next

When US President Barack Obama issued a warning to the embattled Bashar al-Assad regime of Syria recently, little did he know that his announcement will wreak havoc far away in Bollywood. The dispatch from White House sent shivers down the spine of Kabir Khan who is all set to fly down to the Syria-Lebanon border with Katrina Kaif and Saif Ali Khan for his upcoming film.

The latest political development has put the film's schedule abroad into a tizzy with concerns over the security of the cast and crew being raised. But Kabir and the film's producer Sajid Nadiadwala have decided to go ahead but with a newly fortified security cover.

A source said, "The new security cover will cost Nadiadwala about Rs 20 lakh more, but safety has to come first as both he and Kabir do not want to take any risks."

Explaining the danger of the situation, the source added, "If US planes fly towards Syria, they will have to go over Lebanon. This puts Katrina, Saif and others in a potential war zone."

Last week, Kabir had flown down to Lebanon to recce venues for the planned shoot and he returned to India last week after an extensive tour of the country.

"The plan is to start the shoot on October 18. Kabir will shoot the first schedule, spanning close to 15-18 days, in the conflict-ridden Syria-Lebanon border. The production house is backing Kabir's decision despite the fact that the schedule could not be insured," the source added.

As of now, the team including Saif and Katrina will fly to Beirut first and after filming some scenes in the Lebanese capital, they will proceed to the border.