Mumbai, July 16 : Filmmaker-actor Kayoze Irani, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film 'Sarzameen', said what drew him to the movie was the 'father-son story at its core.'

Kayoze said: 'When I first read the broad outline of Sarzameen, I knew by the time I reached the interval that I was going to do this film. It had everything: action, drama, emotion, thrill, but what drew me in was the father-son story at its core.'

He added: 'I've always been drawn to films with an emotional undercurrent, like Bajrangi Bhaijaan. This one felt real and deeply relatable.'

Kayoze talked about his bond with his father and veteran actor Boman Irani.

'I share a beautiful bond with my father, and there's always something uniquely unsaid, yet powerful, between a father and son; that's what made this story so special to me,' he added.

Talking about 'Sarzameen', the film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran as Vijay Menon, a man torn between a father's love and a soldier's duty, Kajol as Meher, a mother who fights against all olds to keep her family intact, and Ibrahim Ali Khan as Harman, a vulnerable young man caught at crossroads.

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Kayoze Irani and is produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, and Apoorva Mehta under the banner of Dharma Productions.

The film is touted to be a tribute to the spirit of the nation, exploring themes of sacrifice, fractured loyalties, and the emotional weight of choosing between blood ties and a higher calling.

'Sarzameen' to stream on JioHotstar from July 25.

Kayoze made his acting debut in 2012 with Student Of The Year starring Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra. He was then seen in films such as Bombay Talkies, Youngistaan and The Legend of Michael Mishra.

He directed a story for the 2021 anthology Ajeeb Daastaans titled Ankahi, starring Shefali Shah and Manav Kaul.

/IANS