The upcoming horror-comedy film Chudail is gearing up to terrify and entertain audiences with a unique blend of music, rivalry and supernatural elements. With Sunny Leone in the titular role, and Mandana Karimi playing her adversary, the film’s cast also includes Southern star comedian Brahmanandam, Sunil Verma (the antagonist in Pushpa), Rahul Dev and Dev Gill.

Produced by Mahendra Dhariwal along with Rocky Sandhu (it is his landmark 50th film) and Paramveer Sandhu and directed by T L V Prasad, Chudail  marks a grand return to the supernatural genre for its lead star cast.

“My 1997 film of the same name was a super-duper hit, so we renamed ‘Lucky’ to ‘Chudail,’. Further with horror films trending nowadays, the release is perfectly timed,” Dhariwal justified the reason for change in title. 

“The core plot of Chudail revolves around an intense professional conflict. Both Sunny Leone and Mandana Karimi portray singers in the film who are fierce and uncompromising competitors,” reveals Dhariwal adding that the conflict is pushed to its limits.

To capture the eerie, larger-than-life atmosphere required for a supernatural thriller, he emphasizes, “The film has a Royal Backdrop in Uttar Pradesh and Haveli setting as it is almost entirely shot in a colossal, authentic royal palace in Bulandshahr.”

“This horror-comedy features a total of five distinct songs meticulously woven into the narrative. The absolute highlight of the soundtrack is a specific, bone-chilling recurring ‘haunted song’. Instead of playing just once, this signature track is strategically split across the narrative,” Dhariwal mentioned.

Revealing that Zee Music Company has acquired the music rights, he said, “While the recurring haunted anthem brings the chills, the remaining four tracks are designed as soft, soaring romantic songs to balance out the horror.”

The highly anticipated horror-comedy Chudail is currently on track for a grand theatrical release by September-end.

The decision to release the film by late September is highly strategic. Recognizing a major shift in audience preferences, the producer notes, “It is the trend of horror films nowadays, and hence its timely release.”

Looking beyond the horror genre, Mahendra Dhariwal along with Rocky Sandhu and Paramveer Sandhu is mounting the most ambitious project of his career, titled Mahadev Ki Mahima.

“Setting a new benchmark for Indian cinema, this mythological venture will be driven by advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology with big artist dubbing that is visualized on a grand scale with a staggering budget of Rs. 150 Crores,” he conveyed.

Adding to his high-octane lineup, Dhariwal also confirmed that ‘Maa Tujhhe Salaam 2’ is in the pipeline, “Following the massive action-patriotic legacy of the original 2002 hit, this sequel is being designed to bring high-stakes drama back to the silver screen.”

Imagine Sunny Leone haunting you as a ghost. Does the idea scare you? Well, that’s what writer and director T L V Prasad is going for with his horror comedy, Chudail, which sees Leone in the titular role. The actor recently wrapped up filming in Uttar Pradesh.

So, what’s Chudail all about? Also starring Rahul Dev and Mandana Karimi, the horror comedy is along the lines of the blockbuster Stree, which subverted the idea of evil female spirits. It sees Leone and Karimi in conflict with each other, while Dev portrays a priest who drives the spirit away. 

A source shared, “Set in North India, Chudail sees Sunny as a spirit haunting the streets of Bulandshahr and luring men. But her character isn’t an all-black witch. As the story progresses, it’s revealed that she faced grave injustice in her lifetime and that sparked her need for vengeance in the afterlife. Extensive VFX has been used in the movie to showcase Sunny’s transformation from a beautiful woman to a spirit with glowing eyes and reversed feet.”

For Mahendra Dhariwal, Chudail is a significant project as it marks his 50th movie as a producer. He is planning its release on a grand scale, as he told mid-day, “It’s designed as a pan-India movie, shot in Hindi and dubbed in other languages [Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu]. We shot the film in a haveli in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh. Sunny’s Ragini MMS 2 [2014], where she played a possessed woman, was a big hit, and now she is returning as a chudail in the horror comedy. It’s also a musical. We are planning a theatrical release in September-end.”