Abhay
Deol
and
Nikhil
Dwivedi
have
replaced
Akshaye
Khanna
and
Emraan
Hashmi
in
Basra.
The
film
was
to
have
been
originally
produced
by
Nikhil
Advani.
Now
Abhay
is
producing
this
edgy
dark
thriller,
which
deals
with
drugs
and
human
trafficking.
Navdeep
Singh
will
direct
it.
A
source
connected
to
the
film
reveals,
"Basra
had
Akshaye
Khanna
and
Emraan
Hashmi
in
the
lead
but
Navdeep
didn't
see
eye-to-eye
with
producers
Nikhil
Advani
and
Sunil
Manchanda.
Abhay
who
has
worked
with
Navdeep
in
Manorama
6
Feet
Under
was
excited
about
the
film
and
offered
to
produce
it.
And
that's
when
the
cast
changed
as
well.
The
film
is
called
Basra
because
it
shows
how
the
raw
materials
are
routed
to
Iraq
and
converted
to
pure
drugs
and
then
sent
back.
A
form
of
heroin
is
called
Basra.
Abhay
will
now
be
seen
in
the
role
that
Akshaye
was
to
do
now
Nikhil
has
been
cast
in
the
role
of
Emraan
Hashmi.
Basra
film
will
be
shot
in
Iraq
--
a
first
for
a
Hindi
film.
The
film
deals
with
narcotics
and
human
trafficking
at
the
grass-root
level
and
the
two
actors
will
play
the
part
of
law
enforcement
officers
from
different
agencies.
It
is
learnt
that
Deol
took
the
title
of
Basra
from
the
previous
producers
but
the
story
has
undergone
major
change
since." Advani
confirms
his
exit
from
the
project,
"Yes.
Unfortunately
we
are
not
producing
the
film
anymore."