MUMBAI: Looks like director Nikhil Advani’s upcoming ‘D-Day’ got a shot in the arm with the Hollywood connection. The stunts and the action in the film have been directed by Ton Struthers and John Street, stunt coordinators who have worked on major Hollywood blockbusters like ‘Inception’, ‘The Dark Knight’, ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ and ‘Terminator: Salvation’.

The film ‘D-Day’ revolves around the extradition of a dangerous don from Pakistan to India. It boasts of some high-octane stunts and action set-pieces.

Arjun Rampal says, “It’s intelligent and calculative action. Every actor was specifically trained, keeping in mind the character he/she played. It was an energising and intriguing experience.” The actors were trained in hand-to-hand combat skills as well as martial arts like kickboxing.

Irrfan Khan, who plays an undercover agent said, “The training schedule was an eye-opener. A lot of attention was given to details that are often overlooked. For example, the right way to hold a gun with an injured arm.” It was the first time, Irrfan Khan said, that he was doing serious action for which the training schedules had begun a month before the film’s shoot.

Nikhil Advani, who has forayed into the action genre for the first time said, “Action is a vital part of the screenplay. Instead of going for regular, gravity-defying stunts, I wanted to keep them as authentic as possible.”

Tom Struthers agrees, “The movie has a patriotic element to it. So, it was essential that it reflected in the body language of the actors, especially in the stunt scenes. They were taught to fight like soldiers.”

‘D-Day’ release on 19 July, 2013 and stars Rishi Kapoor, Huma Qureshi and Shruti Haasan beside Arjun Rampal and Irrfan Khan.