Promotion of Allah Ke Banday is all set to kick start and those who have had a dekko at the film tout it to be one of those gritty hard hitting dramas that would make many stand up and notice the effort.

What also makes the film special is the fact that while NASEERUDDIN SHAH seems like an obvious choice for a seemingly dark film like this, the most unusual suspect has been Sharman Joshi.

Known for his mostly comical and light hearted acts, Sharman would be enacting a rather dark character in this directorial debut of Faruk Kabir (who by the way also plays the other lead in the film).

"I have liked Sharman as an actor for all these years and for my film, I wanted a young actor who could depict the kind of vulnerability which the character carries with itself, " says Faruk who is said to have extracted a fantabulous performance from Sharman, "When the world acknowledges him for his fine comic timing, I look at him as someone who is a fine actor in totality."

When questioned is this was the very factor that made him go for a conscious image change of his lead actor, Faruk nods in agreement.

"Yes, on my part it was a conscious decision to break Sharman's image with this film, " Faruk nods in agreement here, "Sharman worked on getting into the skin of the character.

Once I saw him understand the graph of the character, I was convinced that I could surprise the audience. Sharman has been an unconventional choice but this is exactly what was so exciting about him being roped in."

Also starring Atul Kulkarni, Anjana Sukhani and Rukhsar, this Ravi Walia production spans the life of two twelve year old boys living in one of the most ruthless slums of India. From delivering drugs for the Mafia to looting people, the two aspire to assert their position in this world of crime. It is this journey which is depicted in ALLAH KE BANDAY that is all set for 22nd October release.