Shooting has begun in Italy for the Telugu action thriller “Salaar” starring Prabhas, who is playing a dual role in the film according to sources. The expected blockbuster written and directed by Prashanth Neel – and produced by Vijay Kiragandur via his Hombale Films shingle – has been filming since mid-March in Matera, the ancient southern Italian town known for its prehistoric whitewashed caves. Matera is the location where, among other international titles, the prologue action sequence for the James Bond film “No Time to Die” was shot. The film’s cast also includes Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, and Jagapathi Babu.

Production of “Salaar” is now set to move to Naples where preparations are underway for filming in the southern port city’s central Piazza del Plebiscito square.Other locations for the movie include Rome and Budapest. Though plot details are scarce, “Salaar” revolves around two young people from two different countries who fall in love, despite the distance and their cultural differences, and face many obstacles. The first part of the thriller with a romantic undercurrent is expected to be released worldwide on Sept. 23 in its original Telugu language and dubbed Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and English-language versions. Prabhas is best known for headlining S.S. Rajamouli’s Baahubali franchise, which together grossed $306 million. Prashanth Neel directed both films in the K.G.F franchise, also produced by Hombale Films, which together grossed $182 million