Vidya Balan to play the role of a forest officer in her next film

Actor Vidya Balan will play a forest officer in her forthcoming film that will explore man-wildlife conflict. There have been reports that the film revolves around the controversial killing of a tigress named Avni.

"She will be playing the role of a forest officer," a source close to the film told PTI. Tigress Avni was shot dead by a sharpshooter in November 2018, allegedly on the instructions of the forest department officials as the tigress had allegedly killed 13 people in Maharashtra.

The source said the movie is not based around Avni's case but focuses on "man- animal conflict". The yet-untitled project will be produced by Vikram Malhotra of Abundantia Entertainment.

Vidya will next be seen in a biopic on mathematician Shakuntala Devi. The film is scheduled to release on May 8.