Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha has cast 12 actors from Lucknow in his upcoming movie "Mulk".

Actors Ashok Lal, Ekram Khan, Jitendra Awasthi, Mahendra, Narendra Panjwani, Padam Kirti, Prafulla Pandey, Naval Shukla, Raju Pandey, Rubal Jain, Dayveer Singh Yadav and Vinay Ghoshal will be joining the existing cast and crew of the film.

"I was always inclined towards giving back to the place that I call home. I understand the road blocks one faces when you're trying to break through into the metros when you hail from a smaller city," Sinha, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, said in a statement.

"I faced a lot of struggle when I was new to Mumbai and wanted to make a foray into the entertainment industry. Bharat Jha, the casting director of 'Mulk', showed me some screen tests and I was blown by what I saw. Lucknow has an effervescent theatre industry and produces some of the finest talent, and it's only fair to give everyone a chance," he added.

He will commence shooting on October 12 which also happens to be the 16th birthday of his son Shlok.

"The day Shlok came into my life I bagged 'Dus' and that film was a game changer for me. Just like 'Mulk', it was a multi-starrer. My son will always be my lucky mascot and 'Mulk' is a project that is very close to my heart so, everything is done keeping in mind auspicious aspects. Since I hail from a small town, this film's content is relatable to my childhood days of growing up in Benaras," said Sinha.

The film, a social thriller, is based on true life events.

"Mulk" also features Rishi Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, Prateik Babbar, Ashutosh Rana and Neena Gupta.

The film will be shot in Varanasi and Lucknow and is scheduled to release early next year.