For Pankaj Tripathi, stardom isn’t about constantly being seen; it’s about being remembered. In a conversation with us, the actor, who has been keeping a low profile lately, reflects on fame, stepping back from work and finding solitude.

About his personal definition of being a star, Pankaj, who sat for a fireside chat about stardom at WPP Media’s BREW 2026, says, “For me, it is basically people’s love, affection and brand endorsements. Because brands don’t approach you unless you are a star. They don’t approach just good actors, brands approach stars. So that is one definition as per the market, but for me, stardom means connection, trust and love from the audience.”

When asked whether he considers himself a star today, he smiles and says, “I think my bank account feels that way, but I don’t.”

Reflecting on whether he ever aspired to become a star, he explained, “For stardom, popularity is important. But along with popularity, one should also be memorable. People should remember your work. One shouldn’t just be popular – even infamy brings popularity. Naam ho, but naam memorable ho. I never tried to be popular, but I have definitely tried to be memorable.”

Pankaj, who had earlier spoken about wanting to slow down professionally, reveals that his break from work is still ongoing. “It has been a good break. I’m still on one. I’m listening to stories and listening to my heart. I don’t want to do too much now. If I do two films a year, that’s enough for me. I’m spending a lot of time by myself. When you are in solitude, you meet yourself, not anyone else. That’s the phase I’m in right now – meeting myself,” he shares.

Asked what he has discovered about himself during this phase, he jokes, “That I won’t tell you. Later, I’ll sell it in a book for Rs. 399.”

He adds, “You cannot describe discovery. What you explore within yourself cannot be expressed so easily. Wisdom is difficult to explain. It’s like learning how to ride a bicycle – you don’t know exactly when you learnt it; one day, it just happens. What I have realized is that my knowledge is limited. So now I shouldn’t give too much gyaan and I shouldn’t do a podcast!”

During his break, did he ever fear being out of sight, out of mind? He replies, “No, not at all. I want to stay out of sight. Even stars in the sky disappear for hours. Even the moon vanishes for fifteen days and then returns. It’s important not to be available everywhere, every day. You cannot appear in every paparazzi video, waving at people all the time,” he explains.

Elaborating further, he says, “The ones who want to remain constantly discussed will find it difficult to go out of sight because discussions keep them alive. But memorable people remain alive regardless.”

On a final note, when asked about Stree 3 and when it will go on the floors, he replies, “Director Amar Kaushik is the right person to talk about Stree 3. He is writing it right now, but they are currently busy with another film. So even I’m not sure about when Stree 3 will happen.”

Even as ‘Stree 3’ is currently being written, word is that Shraddha Kapoor has been approached by director Amar Kaushik and production house Maddock Films to headline another of their movies, ‘Mahavatar’. We’ve heard that the actor is the top choice to play the female lead opposite Vicky Kaushal, who portrays Parashurama in the mythological epic.

Discussions with Kapoor are said to be underway. If things work out, Kaushik will take the project — easily one of the most ambitious rolled by the banner — on floors after June.

A source told mid-day, “Shraddha fits the brief perfectly. The team was keen on someone who brings star value and presence. Plus, the Vicky-Shraddha pairing will be fresh, and the makers are confident this combination will resonate with the audience.”

mid-day reached out to Kapoor, who didn’t respond till press time.

If Chhaava (2025) was any indication, Vicky Kaushal slips effortlessly into larger-than-life characters. Now, another ambitious role is waiting for him. We’ve heard that Mahavatar — which will see the actor play Chiranjeevi Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu — will go on floors in October. That’s eight months away, and for good reason. The actor needs to build a bulky physique for the mythological epic that will be directed by Amar Kaushik of Stree fame.

Considering the epic is mounted on a grand scale, its pre-production has already begun. But it will be a while before Kaushal immerses himself in its world.

A source told mid-day, “The actor cannot begin his physical prep as he is currently shooting Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War, in which he sports an athletic look. For Mahavatar, he will need to build a heavy frame like that of a wrestler, complete with a rugged look and long, matted hair. After Love & War reaches the finish line in April, the actor will adopt a new diet plan and workout regime to attain the required look.”

Given his distinct look for the epic, it’s unlikely that Kaushal will sign any new projects while filming it.

Producer Dinesh Vijan and the director are using this time to build the mythological drama’s world. The source added, “The DoP [Director of Photography], art, production, and costume design teams have begun soft prep. The hunt for the leading lady, who will play Dharini, is underway. The rumour of Deepika Padukone being the female lead was baseless.”

In the last week of November, Deepika Padukone was spotted at Maddock Films’ office in Santacruz, Mumbai. Her appearance intensified the industry chatter that the actor is set to join the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe. But sources now indicate that she is, instead, in early conversations to star opposite Vicky Kaushal in ‘Mahavatar’.

Centred on the immortal warrior Parashurama, director Amar Kaushik’s ambitious mythological epic was announced in November 2024. Even as the project is in pre-production, casting for the female lead has remained one of its most closely guarded decisions.

A production insider told mid-day, “The team has been looking for someone who can bring gravitas and emotional depth to the role written opposite Parashurama. Deepika fits that space perfectly. Conversations have begun, but they are still at an early stage. She is among the top names the studio has engaged with.”

Even as the mythological drama focuses on the story of Parashurama, it is heard that the female lead will have a strong character graph. “Amar Kaushik has been clear from the beginning that the character must have equal footing in the narrative,” added the source. If the talks result in a deal, this will be Padukone’s first collaboration with leading man Kaushal.

mid-day reached out to Vijan, who didn’t respond till press time.

Vampires, in director Aditya Sarpotdar’s mind, were an out-and-out Western concept. Think biting cold, dark nights, Gothic architecture, all lending mood to the legend. But he was in for a surprise. “When we were researching, we realised that the idea of betaals preceded the concept of vampires. There are several articles referencing how the Western vampire might have been an offshoot of the betaal idea from the Indian subcontinent,” he shares. That seeded the idea of his vampire dramedy, Thamma.

The Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer is the latest addition to the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe (MHCU). As he set out to create an Indian world of vampires, Sarpotdar took inspiration from the classic Hindi TV serial, Vikram Aur Betaal.

“Betaal there was quirky, smart, and cunning. He used to pose riddles to Vikram, then let out a distinct laugh and disappear. Nawaz’s character is, in many ways, modelled on that version. He is mischievous, unpredictable, and a bit mad,” he says.

With creator Amar Kaushik and writer Niren Bhatt, Sarpotdar — who previously made the horror comedy, Munjya (2024) — slowly crafted Thamma’s world. The director remembers the first moment he felt this “madness” truly come alive on set. It was during a night shoot at Film City in Goregaon.

Sarpotdar says, “We were shooting in our massive Betaal World set at Film City. When the actors put on their fangs and began performing the physicality of betaals, it felt crazy. After a few nights, it felt like that was where we belonged.”

When it came to casting, the first betaal Sarpotdar finalized was Mandanna. She cracked the first look test, he remembers. “In the look test, when she came out in costume and we gave her the fangs, the first pose she struck was perfect — this without even a brief. There was a certain dread and coldness, yet so much likeability. The way she has used her eyes and body to express that raw, jungle-like quality was exactly what the character needed.”

As much as fans loved the new characters in the MHCU, they equally loved seeing an old resident of the cinematic universe — Varun Dhawan aka Bhediya. A crossover between the MHCU films is a given. In Thamma, it materialised as a crucial Khurrana-versus-Dhawan fight sequence. The director breaks it down saying,

“In the script, we always had the Bhediya versus Thamma face-off planned. Varun does action very well, and Ayushmann has a high-energy style. They had to go at each other at a Batman-Superman level. Varun’s Bhediya is extremely loved, so his entry had to be kickass — that whistle-worthy slow-motion reveal. Then there’s the werewolf’s reveal. Both are designed as big moments.”

With the MHCU being populated by Stree and her rival Sarkata, werewolves, and now vampires, where is this world headed next?

The director smiles, “A lot of people feel there is huge potential for this universe to unfold further. After Stree, Bhediya, and now Thamma, we’re holding on to one wild card — a massive betaal versus werewolf showdown. The animosity between the two has been set up, and when they finally go at each other, it’s going to be a battle of two big superheroes. We want it to unfold in the most fun and mightiest way possible.”

What if we told you that ‘Thamma’ creator Amar Kaushik, writer Niren Bhatt, and director Aditya Sarpotdar go regularly to online forums and glean fan theories? “All three of us love reading fan theories,” laughs Sarpotdar, before adding that the practice inspires them to make the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe richer.

“We go on forums anonymously, read discussions about our films, and bring those ideas back to the drawing board. We all share this mindset of creating something crazier, something that nobody has ever seen before.”

Item numbers often face criticism, with many arguing that their lyrics objectify women and perpetuate misogynistic views. However, director Amar Kaushik, whose film Stree 2 features an item song, Aaj Ki Raat, with feminist undertone, feels they can be a device to serve the film’s message while taking the narrative forward. He feels it’s possible to deliver a “masala film with an item song” while maintaining thoughtful content in the lyrics.

“There’s no denying that people come to theatres to watch item songs. However, I wanted to ensure it served the storyline without compromising on quality or respectfulness. Logon ko lagta hai item song hai toh gande bol hi hone chahiye. But I was clear that while the song should be entertaining, it should have meaningful lyrics,” he says.

The 41-year-old, who has directed movies such as Bala (2019) and Bhediya (2022), adds that he was sure to not go below the belt in the garb of an item song. “Cheezein politically correct honi chahiye. Aap bolo aap jo bolna chahte ho aur adayein bhi honi chahiye, lekin jab aap lyrics suno toh lagey, ‘Yeh toh badi baat bol di’,” he explains.

Is this a way of challenging patriarchy that’s often the core of most item songs? “If you look closely at my films, women have agency in them,” he says, adding, “Main behnon ke saath bada hua hoon aur maine unka struggle dekha hai. Woh sab kuch aapke zehen mein hota hai and then when you make a film, you cannot portray it (women’s struggles) as ‘normal’.”

Nowadays, wherever Aparshakti Khurana goes, he is asked to sing a lullaby. Sounds odd? Blame it on Stree 2. In a hilarious sequence in the horror comedy, Khurana’s character Bittu sings a lullaby to his lover. “People are requesting me to sing Soft Chitti, warm Chitti,” he laughs. Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor’s sequel to Stree (2018) has taken the box office by storm, and Khurana couldn’t be prouder.

“Despite there being no big star in Stree 2, the audience believed it deserved these numbers, their love and respect. This is the victory of content, our writer Niren Bhatt, director Amar Kaushik, the makers and the actors. It’s great to be in a space where you get accepted without any star value,” he states.

There has been an amusing online discourse around who should be credited for Stree 2’s success. A section of the audience believes it should be attributed to Rao, while another feels the film belongs to Kapoor. Where does Khurana stand on this?

“Sometimes, things begin trending [online] without any reason. For instance, Boycott Bollywood. Why boycott Bollywood? What did Bollywood do? I think it’s everybody’s film.”

The friendship between Bittu, Rao’s Vicky and Abhishek Banerjee’s Janaa has been a highlight of the franchise. It’s not restricted to the screen. Khurana says the bond with his co-stars supported him as he shot Stree 2 after his father P Khurana’s demise.

“It was the first film I shot after losing Papa. That was difficult for me because I used to regularly call and tell him about my scripts and my day at shoot. Amar, Raj, Abhishek and I are friends before collaborators. Raj and I worked out to devotional songs during Stree 2.”

Stree 2’s end hinted at the next offering in the horror comedy universe—Vampires of Vijay Nagar, starring Ayushmann Khurrana. There are high chances of a crossover with the world of Stree, which will mark the first on-screen collaboration of the two brothers.

“I’m more than looking forward to that. For a while, we were looking to pick up a script where we could be together. Let’s see how and when we can be together in this universe,” he smiles.

In the past week or so, Abhishek Banerjee has become 10 years younger. “That’s what validation does to you,” he smiles. The actor had a stellar week; he was seen as the innocent Janaa in Stree 2 and the cruel local leader Jitender in Vedaa, both films showcasing his range as a performer. He is happiest that they have earned him praise from his father.

“My dad saw both films back-to-back, and was happy that people were hooting at my entry. He never thought I could be an actor, and praise coming from him feels like an achievement. I’m glad he could see this day because we often hear that by the time one delivers a hit, their parents aren’t around to see it,” he reflects.

Banerjee’s fears were not unfounded. The movie industry can be a harsh place, and his journey hasn’t been easy. “Today, the success doesn’t feel delayed at all. I’ve worked hard to be here and enjoyed everything along the way. Also, because I am a casting director, I can assure people that no one ever rejects a good actor. If you’re good, you’ll get [a break]!”

His big break came in Paatal Lok (2020). Before that, he had caught the audience’s attention as Janaa, the lovable friend of Rajkummar Rao’s Vicky, in Stree (2018). Banerjee admits he is emotionally attached to the character.

“He is so innocent and pure that even evil energies are nice to him. Stree let him go [in the first part]. Bhediya is a beast, but is Janaa’s friend. Every time I play him, I feel my soul is cleansed. Janaa is the child version of me. My daak naam [nickname] is Bhola. I trust easily, love a lot, and have faith. Mumbai hasn’t eroded my simplicity. Janaa aligns with who I am. He is the 4 am friend of every superhero in this universe.”

That he is a part of this horror comedy universe with director Amar Kaushik makes it all the more enjoyable. The actor believes there is a lot of Janaa’s simplicity in Kaushik too. “He can give me a look, and I know exactly what he wants. I can read his face. We’re a bit of lovers,” he laughs, remembering how they first bonded.

“I’m the first actor Amar ever directed. He was the second unit director in No One Killed Jessica [2011], and I played a pickpocket. It’s crazy how far we’ve come.”

In recent years, particularly after the pandemic, a noticeable trend has emerged in films: the rise of sequels. In 2022 and 2023, several sequels achieved remarkable success. KGF: Chapter 2, the follow-up to the 2018 hit KGF: Chapter 1, became a pan-India sensation, breaking records and grossing over Rs. 1,200 crore worldwide. Similarly, Drishyam 2, a sequel to the 2015 thriller Drishyam, amassed both critical acclaim and strong box-office returns. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, a spiritual sequel to the 2007 horror-comedy, and Gadar 2, which hit theatres 22 years after the first part, also did well.

According to Ormax Media data, franchise films accounted for 17% of the Indian box office in 2019, but by 2023, this figure had risen to 45%. “The most anticipated Hindi films among regular theatregoers in India include Stree 2, Pushpa 2 - The Rule, Hera Pheri 3, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, War 2 and Singham Again,” Sanket Kulkarni, head of business development (theatrical), Ormax Media, tells us, adding that the trend also applies to Tamil and Telugu films.

“Sequels, by their very nature, bring with them a sense of continuity and established connection with characters,” says director Amar Kaushik, who is gearing up for the release of Stree 2. Elaborating, Kaushik says, “When a sequel is announced, viewers feel connected to the franchise because they have already loved the first part. The audiences think of such films as their own. Log expect karte hain sequel se, ki jitna maza unhein first part dekh kar aaya tha, next part bhi utna hi interesting bana hoga aur paise vasool honge.”

Seeing characters that they have loved, and looking forward to new journeys for them, makes it compelling for audiences, notes Gadar 2 director Anil Sharma. “So, the allure lies in revisiting familiar worlds and characters they’ve grown to love,” says Sharma, adding that that’s exactly why “characters and film ka essence same hona chahiye, jo pehle part mein tha, bas”.

The financial aspect of making sequels is a significant driving force behind the proliferation. “When a sequel is made, financing and selling become much easier. Studios and investors are more willing to back a project with a proven track record, just as audiences are more inclined to watch a continuation of a beloved story. These factors make sequels an attractive proposition for everyone involved,” says Sharma.

Film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi opines, “[For industry stakeholders, too], sequels are a sure shot recipe for success as filmmakers build on the popularity of a movie that’s already touched the hearts of the people.”

The lineup of upcoming films is dominated by sequels — Stree 2, Singham Again and Raid 2 — demonstrating that sequels are a mainstay in the cinematic landscape.

Stree 2

Pushpa 2 - The Rule

Singham Again

Raid 2

War 2

Indian 2

Welcome To The Jungle

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

Border 2

Hera Pheri 3

Kantara A Legend: Chapter 1

Bhediya 2

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There’s no set formula for a sequel. The first thing is to see if you have a story left [from the first part]. There should be honesty. I took 5-6 years to come up with a sequel [to Stree] because I think not just the audience, but even I, should feel excited about the story and the graph of the characters. I believe that all filmmakers who are making a sequel should maintain the essence of the first film and its characters.

-Amar Kaushik director (Stree and Bhediya)

A popular folk story from the interiors of the Konkan coast has made its way to a popular Bollywood horror franchise. Writer Niren Bhatt and director-writer Amar Kaushik, who made Stree 2 and Bhediya, decided to fashion a folklore into a classic horror comedy—a medium they ace. And thus, Munjya came into being. 

In the teaser this week, the makers introduced the first CGI actor of India, named Munjya. 

Bhatt tells us that the story first came into their lives because of Yogesh Chandekar, who brought to the production house, Maddock Films, a legend from his part of the world. “In a man’s life, there are traditionally considered to be four stages: Brahmacharya (student), Grihastha (householder), Vanaprastha (retirement, originally involving leaving the city to live in a forest), and Sannyasa (renunciation). The Upanayan or Thread Ceremony, known as Munja in Marathi, marks the initiation of a child into the student phase. Sod Munja is another ceremony, usually performed as part of marriage rituals, signifying the end of the student phase and the beginning of the Grihastha phase. If a man dies unmarried after his munja has been performed but before his Sod Munja, he becomes a Munjya: A spirit who resides in peepal trees or near wells. The Marathi expression ‘Baaraa pimpla varcha munjya’ refers to someone with a restless spirit, akin to moving from one peepal tree to another,” Bhatt explains.

A practical explanation for this belief is that peepal trees, with their large canopies, release significant amounts of carbon dioxide after dark. The fear of munjya likely discouraged people from sitting under them after sunset. But where’s the mystery and lore in sciences or logic?

Bhatt and Kaushik developed the story over three years, and for research, visited several wadas and orchards around Dapoli and Ganpatipule where Munjas have been ‘tied down’. “Everyone has a munjya story but has never actually met a munjya,” Bhatt explains.

“Kissi ke sarr pe baith gaya; kissi ko pathar se maara. A ceremony is conducted to control the bal rakshas. He is a monster but a child because he died young. He bothers people to fulfill his desires, and usually wants to get married. Munjyas aren’t typically malicious; just juvenile, petty nuisance. They really seem to like pelting stones at those standing underneath trees.”In their story, the munjya somehow breaks free of the peepal tree and wreaks havoc.

At this point, Kaushik who was in a shoot, steps in. We ask whether three years of reading and researching ghosts and spirits plays on their mind.

“Sometimes,” Kaushik says, “during the writing process, we wondered whether munjya visited in our dreams. Our films are made out of our nightmares; whenever we are writing, we are perpetually scared. If someone overhears conversations from the writers’ rooms, they’ll think we’re tantrics. A lot of it we carry home and it does play on our minds because Niren reads some 10 books. We then dissect and go watch YouTube videos on real stories of such incidents. By the end of it we have a mix of bizarre, boring and cinematic. The funny stories however come from the locals, when we go on recce. Most of it is not written anywhere. What we forget is that when it comes to ghosts, everyone has a story and it is not scary in itself but in how it is told. Sometimes at the end of a long writing session, we go through our own material and wonder, What on earth are we writing? But ‘more outrageous, more hilarious’ has worked for us.”

Such haunting folklore from varied sub-cultures is new to mainstream movies. After the success of Kantara last year, there is an increased emphasis on finding tales grandmothers narrated: Of kings and demons, and spiritual connection between humans and spirits.

“If you see the movies we have worked on,” Bhatt says, “they also tell the tale of the milieu. Stree is from Chanderi; there are over 42 archaeological sites in the vicinity. So her legend is born out of that world. The architecture, the heartland tropes all indicate why such a tale would have come about. It is steeped in history. Similarly, Bhediya is from the jungles of North East. Local beliefs and ideas get woven into the film. In Munjya too, there is an attempt to weave in the subculture of the Konkan belt, their fears and beliefs make up the composite of the story we have written. The sea is a big part of the belief system.”

This affinity to tell a story authentically pushed Kaushik to pass the director’s baton to Aditya Sarpotdar, best known for his Marathi horror flick Zombivili. “You can’t make good films if you accept baggage,”

Kaushik says, “There is no pressure to make you laugh. There is no pressure to send a message. We wanted to bring back nani ki kahaniyan. To remain as pure in storytelling. It’s about the story and the characters, the world and in the end, it should be entertaining. Pressure of any kind brings competition, and the minute you compete in any way, you stop being you. You are no longer unique. The beauty of this world and all the horror comedies we tell and want to tell is that they have to be unique. We look for why this legend first appeared and what makes it so popular. Legends tell you everything you have to know about the people and that society. The ghost, spirit, monster, is also a character. We treat it with much empathy: What’s his backstory? Who was he in human form? What was his state of mind when he died? What are his unfulfilled desires?” 

Will Munjya and Stree have an Avengers-like reunion in the near future? “If a film works, it has the legs to be more—a sequel, a spin-off, a multiverse. We didn’t write Munjya as the male equivalent of Stree. We didn’t write Bhediya with the potential to cross wires with Stree either. But it’s a good thing that there are cross connections. The possibilities are endless,” says Kaushik.

Director Amar Kaushik is busy with the post-production of Stree 2, the sequel to Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor’s 2018 horror comedy. Meanwhile, another sequel is vying for his attention. Sources tell us that as soon as Stree 2 reaches the finish line, the filmmaker will focus on the script of Bhediya 2, which will see Varun Dhawan reprise his role of a shape-shifting werewolf.

It turns out Niren Bhatt, who penned the script of Bhediya (2022), has begun writing the second instalment on the basis of the plot that Kaushik and he have discussed. “Bhediya was always envisioned as a franchise. It’s a part of producer Dinesh Vijan’s horror comedy universe. After Stree 2 is delivered to the studio by March, Amar and Niren will sit on the script of Bhediya 2 and have the final draft ready by mid-2024,” says a source.

The film is expected to roll later this year. The source adds, “Varun is shooting for Atlee’s production, after which he has three more projects. He will then turn his attention to Bhediya 2.”

If 2022 has been a year of introspection for Varun Dhawan, he is approaching the coming year with only one thing in mind: action. The actor will open the year with Bawaal, which gave him the opportunity to collaborate with Nitesh Tiwari — a director who had long been on his wish-list. Working with the filmmaker was everything he had hoped for.

“I am excited about Bawaal. Ajju bhaiyya is a character I loved playing. The film will be a fun ride,” he says of the love story that also features Janhvi Kapoor.

Besides Bawaal, the actor has the Indian version of Citadel, helmed by Raj-DK, in the pipeline. Rumours also suggest that he will team up with director Anees Bazmee for an action comedy. “Anees sir and I will work together at some point; it’s only a matter of when. But right now, there’s nothing [on the cards]. He is making another film.”

While Bazmee is certainly on his wish-list, some more directors have piqued his interest with their distinct voices. “There are so many directors I want to work with — from Lokesh Kanagaraj, to Atlee. I would also love to reunite with Shashank Khaitan and Amar Kaushik.”

Chances of Dhawan reuniting with Bhediya director Kaushik are high. Fans are speculating that the actor will be seen in a cameo in the director’s next, Stree 2, after Stree’s leading man Rajkummar Rao made an appearance in Dhawan’s monster comedy.

“Dinesh Vijan [producer] and Amar are keen to revisit the Bhediya character. You saw Stree’s characters [make an appearance] in Bhediya, and now, [it will be vice versa].”

Is the sequel going on floors soon? That has been a constant query of cinephiles over the past four years since Stree (2018) became a sleeper hit at the box office. In some ways, the Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor-starrer brought the genre of horror comedy to the fore in Hindi cinema, and amassed a loyal fan following. While reports of Stree 2 being in development have been doing the rounds since last year, mid-day has learnt that director Amar Kaushik will take the second instalment on floors in March 2023.

Kaushik, who had been busy with Bhediya over the past few months, is now giving his undivided attention to the Rao-starrer. The unit has begun pre-production for the film that will roll in Delhi. “While Stree was shot extensively in Chanderi and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, this time around, the narrative moves to Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The film will be shot in four cities, beginning with Delhi and the outskirts. The team will then move to Uttar Pradesh for an extensive month-long schedule. The final draft of the script is ready, and Amar is currently locking the three cities that will serve as the backdrop,” reveals a source.

Hailed for its themes of gender role reversal and feminism, Stree revolved around a witch who is believed to abduct men at night. Rao’s Vicky and his friends — essayed by Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee — set out to find the truth behind the legend after they suspect a mysterious woman, played by Kapoor, of being the witch. While the quartet will reprise their roles in the sequel, Pankaj Tripathi is likely to give it a miss. But there is said to be an addition to the cast.

The source adds, “Varun Dhawan will make a special appearance. Amar and the writers have woven in his character from Bhediya, thus bringing together the universes of the two distinct horror comedies.”

Varun Dhawan has been busy connecting with his fans across India. The actor has been hopping from one city to another promoting his film Bhediya, which hits the theatres tomorrow. He feels that the film, which promises to be an epic cinematic adventure with enthralling VFX, will thoroughly entertain the audience. The actor worked hard for six months to up his fitness levels to play this shape-shifting role of a wolf, so that the man-to-bhediya transformation looks believable on screen.

Ahead of the film’s release, Varun talks about his first creature comedy, directed by Amar Kaushik, why he loves being a part of films that have comic elements in them and the calm he felt while shooting in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh. Excerpts:

I didn’t, but I always wanted to. I was obsessed with being a part of such a film. So finally, when I got something like Bhediya, I was extremely thrilled. It’s the kind of film that was never made in the country, and was not offered to anyone. The fact that Amar Kaushik had this vision and wanted to make a film like this meant a lot. When he offered me the project, I was sold on his one-scene narration. The scene was — Bhaskar (Varun’s character) is sleeping. He has done something at night, and the doctor asks him, ‘Kal raat ko kya khaya tha?’ And Bhaskar says, ‘Prakash’. The doctor asks, ‘Kya?’ And he quickly responds saying, ‘Nahi, matlab kal raat ko Prakash ke saath khaana khaya tha.’ I was zapped. I knew that this film is going to be something new and wild and it would offer me an unbelievable character to play.

I totally believe in that. It’s a very difficult character to play and I don’t think people realise that, but they will once they see the film. There’s an immense amount of work and effort that’s gone into making this film. I expect people to be blown away by the visual treat that they are in for. Physically, it was so tiring to play this character that I would return to my room beat at the end of the day. There is so much anguish and power needed to do certain scenes that it would exhaust me. I trained a lot for the role. For six months, I did animal flow workout and changed my diet… it was hard, but it became very enjoyable at the end of it. I wanted to crack this character and get it absolutely right because it is something so unbelievable — a man turning into a wolf — how do you convince people? So that was very tricky.

Honestly, I did not know anything about this story until Amar narrated it to me. Well, that’s the beautiful thing about being an actor, that you don’t have to take up the onus of thinking about stories, and makers can come up with their own vision, and you can make it your own, and that’s your job in a way. I have stopped trying to find something. I am open to hearing the director’s vision and seeing how that excites me. Now, obviously, if something is connected to my traditions and culture, I will connect to it faster because there is the relatability aspect. But as an artiste, I am open to exploring every story that can leave a mark on me. Bhediya is fantastical and supernatural and is also rooted in our folklore; it excites you because it is a ‘what if’ story.

I love comedy. I love it so much that I make sure every film of mine has comedy. This film has a lot of entertainment for the audience. I am not doing much comedy in it. The situation brings out the humour and makes it more exciting. I play a very different part. Like I said, I have almost two parts in the film — one of a man and the other of a wolf. I had my hands full with that and my main job was to convince people that this transformation happens.

She has had an amazing journey and has worked really hard. I think she is stepping into the best phase right now. I feel there’s a lot of good work ahead for her. Today, she’s in that position where she’s a star, and there are very few around, and she is one of them.

I enjoyed shooting in Arunachal Pradesh. We shot 95 per cent of the film there amid all the greenery. The forest you see in the movie is real. It is such a big and important part of the film and makes the movie look authentic. When you shoot a film at a location like that, it does bring a certain sense of calm. But post the shooting, when we started promoting the film, all that calm disappeared and chaos took over (laughs). I miss that a lot! We all need to take a break, and hopefully, post Bhediya’s release, I will do that.

Abhishek Banerjee’s role as the hammer-wielding gangster Hathoda Tyagi (in Paatal Lok) made him a household name. An alumnus of KMC (Kirori Mal College), Delhi, Abhishek says he took admission in that college because it was Amitabh Bachchan’s college. In Delhi for a project, he talks to us about his college days and how it took him almost a decade to crack the code as an actor, while he worked behind the scenes as a casting director and also did small roles. Excerpts from our chat with him:

The Delhi boy shares, “Even when I was in school (Kendriya Vidyalaya in Delhi), I wanted to get into KMC because I was a huge fan of Mr Bachchan and he was an alumnus of KMC. Main yeh sochta tha ki main thoda ghoos (bribe) khila ke kaam chala lunga. Then I met Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub; he was from my school and studied in Kirori Mal College. He told me that I could also get admission by appearing for the theatre auditions (under ECA quota). I was really surprised that you could get admission in college on the basis of your acting skills, and that’s how I got into KMC and then Players (the theatre society of KMC).”

Talking about Players, he adds, “It is one of the best theatre groups in the country, and I’m not talking about amateur theatre groups. It is the best professional theatre group in the country. We have many talented people working in the film industry from Players – from Ali Abbas Zafar to Divyenndu (Sharma) and Zeeshan (Ayyub). And of course, we have veterans like Satish Kaushik and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.”

Abhishek’s first brush with films was on the sets of Rang De Basanti (2006). He played a small role in the film. He says, “It was the first time when I went on a film set, and I realized that there are so many other things to do on a film set apart from acting. But I wanted to become an actor.”

Apart from Rang De Basanti, where he played the role of a DU student, the actor also had a small role in Bombay Talkies (2013) and played a pickpocket in No One Killed Jessica (2011). Abhishek had auditioned for the role of Manish in the film but was rejected. The role was eventually bagged by Zeeshan Ayyub.

Abhishek shares that while he did not go to FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) or NSD (National School of Drama), he learned from his experiences on film sets, where he started working as a casting director. He has 90 credits on IMDB as a casting director, which includes films like Secret Superstar and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. He says that over the years, there have been many times when his fellow casting directors would reject him for roles.

He says, “In Ghanchakkar, I thought I could have been cast as I knew the team, but I was not. It was a learning from my seniors, and that is why I could never be partial as a casting director, even to friends.” 

While he kept doing small roles and got a lot of offers for playing the hero’s friend, Abhishek says he didn’t want that. He adds, “In 2018 when I was offered the role of Rajkummar Rao’s friend in Stree, I was not convinced. But Amar sir (Amar Kaushik, director of Stree) told me that it is a film with three guys. While it was an important role, I think the role after which people started noticing me was Hathoda Tyagi. And then they would recall Stree and Phillauri and so on.”

Talking about his experiences and learnings as a casting director, he tells us, “I have been casting from the time when we were known as casting coordinators and not casting directors. We know a lot of good actors who haven’t got space. We try to not waste them on small roles – and when the time and the role and the director are right, we cast them. And then people wonder yeh kahan se aaye? Yeh yahin thay – yahin theatre kar rahe thay.”

When we sit down for a chat with Varun Dhawan at a suburban hotel, he notes that the past two years have been personally gratifying for him. The actor married his childhood sweetheart Natasha Dalal, and became a pet parent. What’s the one learning that stood out for him? “That no one knows anything,” he chuckles, before saying that the thought extends to the current state of Hindi cinema as well.

“The box-office rules have changed [after the pandemic]. As an actor, I could either be daunted or make peace with the fact that we are all navigating an uncertain phase. Back in the day, I knew what clicked with the audience. Now, I strongly believe stories that are steeped in Indian emotions will connect [with viewers].”

He believes that JugJugg Jeeyo walks that line. Raj Mehta’s directorial venture, also starring Anil Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor and Kiara Advani, explores the subject of divorce. Dhawan elaborates, “It is a progressive film and a thorough entertainer, complete with masala and music. The film balances both male and female gaze accurately, and delves into the everyday emotions in marriage. Some messages in the film are essential viewing for men in today’s times. When I first read the script, I cracked up. During the workshops, we added depth to the material.”

The actor’s last release was the problematic Coolie No 1 (2020). But now, he admits that he is drawn to movies that don’t stop at entertainment. “Sometimes, we watch entertaining films, but sit back at the end and say, ‘Yeh ending toh galat hai na.’ JugJugg Jeeyo consciously [avoids] that. We have tried to be brave with the message we want the audience to take back. Most Hindi films on infidelity have chauvinistic undertones in the garb of comedy. They reinforce populist thinking. Here, we discussed the ending again and again.”

He adds, “Divorce is a massive deal in this country. Despite that, the film’s ending is the way it is. We wanted to do right by the audience.”

Now on, the actor wants to consciously do movies that don’t reinforce problematic thinking. “Something changed within me when my niece [Niyara] was born. We care for her so much and want to protect her. I want everyone to treat her the way I do at home. Is the world we are creating with our work pushing for that? Small normalizations — for instance, a guy can do this and a girl cannot — like these have to be broken.”

While Dhawan has been true to his identity of a commercial Hindi film hero, he also featured in offbeat movies like Badlapur (2015) and October (2018). Will this desire to get cash registers ringing deter him from taking that stray risk once in a while?

“My current line-up has Bhediya and Bawaal. They are [mainstream] movies, but they come from directors like Amar Kaushik and Nitesh Tiwari. So, the desire to experiment remains. I will do commercial potboilers, but I want to do more than what I was doing 10 years back. Our commercial fares need an upgrade.”

Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon got a well-deserved break in late April after wrapping up the extensive schedule of Bhediya in Arunachal Pradesh. Almost two months since, it’s back to the world of the werewolf for the duo as director Amar Kaushik of Stree (2018) fame plans to kick off the final schedule by the month-end.

“A set is being constructed in Mira Road for the upcoming leg. Amar will resume his place behind the camera by June 26 to lead the seven-to-10-day schedule. The shoot, which will include the filming of a song, will be conducted with minimal crew,” reveals a source.

While shoots were suspended in mid-April and May due to the junta curfew imposed in the state, the horror comedy did not bear its brunt. The source adds, “The director wanted the team to have a sufficient break between the two schedules, and hence, had slotted the Mumbai schedule only for June-end. The lockdown had no bearing on our plan.” The horror comedy sees Dhawan reuniting with Sanon after Dilwale (2015).

Maddock Films, the studio backing the project, remained unavailable for comment.