Mumbai,  Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra and South star Rashmika Mandanna will star in the upcoming espionage thriller, Mission Majnu.

Sidharth describes the film as "a patriotic tale inspired by true events that celebrates the hard work of RAW agents who go out of their way to protect the citizens of our country".

He adds that he is eager to revisit a mission that forever changed the relationship between India and Pakistan.

Rashmika, who is all set to make her Bollywood debut with the film, said: "As an actor it is always the story of the film that I connect with, and the language of the film is never a barrier for me. I am grateful to the makers for offering me Mission Majnu which is written beautifully, and I am super excited to be part of a team that has so much passion."

She added: "We are all working together to make it even more amazing. I am super excited to start my journey in Hindi cinema and to reach out to newer audiences"

Directed by Shantanu Bagchi, the film is based on India's most ambitious covert operation. It is inspired by real events set in the 1970s and is the story of India's most courageous mission in the heart of Pakistan that forever changed the relationship between the two nations.

"The more I read about that era -- whether it be about the ordinary citizens, the politics or the military -- the more I was drawn into this world of espionage, and this mission," said Bagchi.

Written by Parveez Shaikh, Aseem Arrora and Sumit Batheja, the thriller stars Sidharth as a RAW agent who leads the mission. Ronnie Screwvala collaborates with producers Amar Butala and Garima Mehta to bankroll the upcoming movie.

"There are thousands of heroes who work behind the scenes to safeguard the interest of our country from other terror units and rogue nations. Their work often goes unnoticed and Mission Majnu is an attempt to bring their sacrifices and efforts to the forefront. Mission Majnu is a thrilling tale about one of the most daring and audacious operations in the history of RAW," said Screwvala.

Producer Amar Butala, whose previous films include Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Kesari and Love Sonia, shared that Mission Majnu is a compelling story about freedom and the price we pay for it.

"We believe that Mission Majnu is packed with formidable content, strong characters, and a story that will bring audiences back to cinemas," Garima Mehta, producer at Guilty By Association said.

The film will go on floors February 2021.