Upala KBR (MID-DAY; October 24, 2017)

Looks like it may be a while before we witness the directorial skills of Kangana Ranaut. Before her directorial debut, Teju, goes on floors in mid-2018, the actor may shoot for a whodunit mystery thriller. The yet-untitled movie is essentially a cat-and-mouse chase thriller between two protagonists, with Ranaut’s character having grey shades.

A source close to the actor reveals, “Kangana’s role is nuanced and powerful. She loved the script as she felt it will give her a chance to showcase her acting skills again.”

We hear the actor may shoot for the thriller in February next year after she wraps up Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi. The source adds that Shailesh R Singh, Prernaa Arora and Arjun N Kapoor, who are producing the film, are considering Rajkummar Rao and Ayushmann Khurrana for the male lead.

Singh, who previously collaborated with Ranaut on Simran (2017) and is backing Teju as well, asserts that the thriller won’t hamper the schedule of her directorial debut. “Kangana has not done a mystery thriller so far. That’s why we wanted to bring her on board. We’re currently in talks with her. Teju will require about six to eight months of prep before it goes on floors. So, we want to shoot the thriller in the meantime.”