For one dramatic sequence in London, the Samuk unit didn't reach for a model rig or a green screen. They flew in an actual helicopter and have kept it on set for several days of shooting, according to Rajesh Vasani of Paras Publicity, who spoke to Bollywood Hungama.

Vasani framed it as more than a budget call. "That is not merely a production decision, it reflects the filmmaking philosophy of Vipul Amrutlal Shah," he said, adding that the director has "taken Samuk into an entirely new territory" by folding science fiction, survival drama, action, horror and alien mythology into a single film. The project has reportedly been in development for over two years.

The scale extends to the crew. The overseas technical team includes creature-effects designer Alec Gillis, whose credits run through the Alien and Predator franchises, alongside British action specialist Luke Tumber. That's not the kind of names a studio hires for a film that's playing it safe.

This is also the seventh film Akshay Kumar and Vipul Shah have made together, and by Vasani's account and Shah's own, they haven't repeated a genre yet. Shah had touched on the approach back in June, during the press run for Governor, telling Bollywood Hungama, "We have opted for old-school filmmaking, which means we are going to shoot as much as possible practically and live on set. The use of VFX will be very limited. That is how you get it absolutely bang-on." The helicopter, if the current reporting holds, is that philosophy playing out on the ground.

Shah had also spoken then about Kumar's involvement on Samuk, calling it unusually hands-on for an actor with his schedule. "He gives considerable time to discuss every aspect of the film again and again," Shah said. "He's quite deeply involved with the film."

None of this is confirmed by Kumar or Shah as fresh comment on the helicopter shoot itself. The quotes on record are either from a publicist relaying details or from an interview months old, done in a different promotional context. Worth keeping that distinction in mind until the production puts out something official.

Separately, Bollywood Hungama has reported that actor Viineet Kumar Siingh is set to join the Samuk cast, though that too remains at the report stage rather than a studio confirmation.

No release date has surfaced yet, and Samuk's London leg is still running. With a creature-effects veteran from the Alien universe on the technical team and a director publicly committed to shooting practical over digital, the next thing to watch for is what else gets built for real before this unit wraps and heads home.