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.