Pakistani actors Mikaal Zulfiqar and Rasheed Naz have been cast in director Neeraj Pandey's film Baby, starring Akshay Kumar and Anupam Kher in the lead.

Rasheed, who is known for his work in notable television plays as well as for his role of extremist Maulana Tahiri in the critically-acclaimed Khuda Key Liye, will be reprising a similar role in Baby. He has been roped in to play Maulana Abdul Rahman, the mastermind behind a deadly fundamentalist terror group planning to harm India.

However, Mikaal's role in the film has not yet been disclosed as we only see a glimpse of him in the trailer talking on a cell phone.

While this is Rasheed's Bollywood debut, Mikaal has previously done three projects in India, including Godfather, Shoot on Sight and U R My Jaan.

According to reports, the shooting of the film spanned far and wide, from Kathmandu and Istanbul to Abu Dhabi, Mumbai and Delhi.

Mikaal Zulfiqaar with Anupam Kher and Akshay Kumar in film's poster. — Courtesy Photo

The film is said to be action-packed with Akshay Kumar playing the lead as a top counter intelligence agent.

Speaking to indiaglitz.com, Bhushan Kumar, who has co-produced the film with Krishan Kumar and Shital Bhatia, said: "The day I heard the narration, I knew I was sure to come on board as the producer. The combination of Neeraj and Akshay is a bonus to the script and the talented ensemble cast. The fast paced action sequences and twists and thrills will keep the audience on the edge of their seats."

Being a Bollywood film, Baby surprisingly has no songs.

Speaking to Times of India, Neeraj said: "A film is about narrating an engaging and entertaining story to the audience. Some stories demand song and dance, while others work wonderfully without them. The essence and style of this film lend themselves to minimal distraction for songs."

The film is slated to release on January 23, 2015.