Despite the tepid response on its big screen release, Dhak Dhak (2023) found a dedicated audience when it premièred on Netflix. So much so that director Tarun Dudeja, in early 2024, announced the sequel to the Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza, and Sanjana Sanghi-starrer. In the latest development, Sanghi told mid-day that the script is ready.

“It’s a script that we’re all excited by, something that we’ve all said yes to. Tarun has done a stellar job in staying true to the characters. We can’t wait to reunite for it,” beamed the actor.

Dhak Dhak revolved around four women who take a road trip to Khardung La, which transforms them. Will they kick off another road trip this year? It’s too soon to put a timeline, said Sanghi, adding, “It’s been a difficult time in our industry, in terms of putting projects together.”

Adding a Maddock Films’ entertainer to her filmography may not happen as soon as Ananya Panday had expected. While the actor was supposed to lead Choomantar along with Munjya (2023) find Abhay Verma, sources have now told mid-day that Panday is no longer attached to the fantasy romance. Reason? Scheduling conflicts with the second season of Call Me Bae, we’re told.

It turns out the change was made recently after it became clear that Panday’s 2026 commitments would overlap with the timeline of Tarun Dudeja’s directorial venture. A source revealed, “The team of Choomantar is aiming to begin filming in January 2026. That clashes with Call Me Bae 2, which recently went on floors. So, Ananya and the makers of Choomantar decided to part ways, with the promise of working soon.”

Following her exit, the makers are said to have restructured the cast. We’ve learnt that South actor Sreeleela and Janki Bodiwala of Vash Level 2 fame are expected to lead the film with Verma.

The source added, “A mock shoot with the trio happened last week. The fantasy romantic drama has been in preparation for several months, and workshops are likely to begin next week.”

Anand Tiwari admits that in the days leading to a film’s release, he usually becomes a ball of nerves. “I’ve done everything I could, and now it belongs to the audience,” he says of Bad Newz, starring Vicky Kaushal, Triptii Dimri and Ammy Virk. For his first big-screen offering, the director has created a comedy about heteropaternal superfecundation—it revolves around a woman, who becomes pregnant with twins fathered by two different men.

The story’s novelty drew him, he says. “I loved the draft that Ishita [Moitra, writer] wrote. First, my business partner, Amritpal [Singh Bindra], and Sumeet Vyas tried to [expand on] it, then we got Tarun Dudeja [writer].”

In the past, Tiwari directed OTT offerings, including Love Per Square Foot (2018), Bandish Bandits (2020) and Maja Ma (2022). Bad Newz, with its laugh-out-loud moments, has a different tonality from his past creations.

“I find bhasad very entertaining,” he laughs. “We grew up on David Dhawan films. Messed-up relationships give Bad Newz a tonality that goes beyond the central topic. There are many more layers in it. I come from a big family; I have rejoiced in my family’s bhasad. So, I enjoy the nuances of family dynamics. As a Matunga boy, I grew up on comedies that played at Gaiety-Galaxy. It helps me be the storyteller I am. Somehow, we make fewer comedies now.”

Reuniting with long-time friend Kaushal after Love Per Square Foot must have been reassuring. But where does friendship end and work begin?

“On set, Vicky is my actor, and when we call it a wrap, we are friends. I have worked all my life with close friends. I never take the fact that I am Vicky’s friend for granted. He needs space and time, and as his collaborator, I give him that.”

Before we end the chat, we have to talk about the hit song, Tauba Tauba that has Kaushal displaying some smooth moves. “I’m glad it’s a rage. But everything that’s catchy about the film comes from Karan Johar. He has given me the biggest theatrical debut I could’ve imagined. Getting Karan Aujla [singer] was his call; all the actors came because of him. It’s gracious of Ishita and Karan to let us fly with a script that she wrote. The film should be liked foremost, but I also want it to do well at the box office. When someone trusts you this whole-heartedly, you want to do the best you can.”

There is always a second time. Nine months ago, Tarun Dudeja’s debut directorial venture, Dhak Dhak, had a muted release. Today, in stark contrast stands his next, Bad Newz—starring Vicky Kaushal, Triptii Dimri and Ammy Virk—which has generated much buzz before its theatrical release.

“Dhak Dhak didn’t have a trailer launch event. At Bad Newz’s trailer launch, I sat in the first row. Karan Johar [producer] and Vicky took my name. The experience was the opposite of Dhak Dhak,” says Dudeja, who serves as the screenplay and dialogue writer.

That’s not where the differences end. The two movies are also poles apart in genre and tonality. While Dhak Dhak told the story of four women coming into their own over a road trip, Anand Tiwari’s directorial venture is a comedy centred on the rare medical condition, heteropaternal superfecundation, where a woman gets pregnant with twins from different men. 

Dudeja remembers being introduced to the story, penned by Ishita Moitra, three years ago. “There was a newspaper article about this case in China. She, along with Somen Mishra, who is a creative producer at Dharma Productions, built a world around it. Anand and I took that and kept experimenting with it. The idea was to bring a flavour of the ’90s comedies, while keeping it realistic and [rooted in] emotions so that it feels logical. We all love ’90s comedies, but today’s audience is evolved. So, we had to maintain a balance [between comedy and emotions]. Writing a comedy is always tough, especially cracking dialogues. But Anand put in a lot of work with me to get the punches out. We were also aware that emotional scenes and conflicts needed to be written sensitively.”

Translating humour from paper to screen is a tough job. Not if you have Kaushal, Dimri and Virk as the lead actors, says the writer. “All three have terrific comic timing, and elevated our lines.” Which brings us to the most hilarious sequence in the trailer—in a meta joke, Kaushal tells a character he will have to pass over his dead body to rip apart a poster of Katrina Kaif, his actor-wife.

Dudeja laughingly says, “It was there in the script. We wanted some Vicky jokes. More than us, he laughed at this joke. He also performed the scene with utmost conviction. His dialogue delivery makes it funnier than it is.”

The mutually-agreed-upon eight-week window between a film’s theatrical and OTT releases has been working well so far in the coexistence of the two mediums. However, of late, films such as Music School, 8am Metro, Guthlee Ladoo, Jogi Ra Sa Ra Ra, Shiv Shastri Balboa, Coat, Dhak Dhak and the upcoming Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video seem to have been released on the big screen only to eventually facilitate their web release.

The teasers and trailers of these films, too, dropped with just days to go for their releases, with barely any promotions. In some cases, even the release date was decided and announced without any proper planning. Termed ‘token release’, this phenomenon is characterized by films releasing in theatres just so they can be made available for streaming.

With most token releases, films do not wait for the eight-week window and can release on OTT after running in theatres for four weeks. Another reason why OTT giants prefer films to take the theatre route first is to rule out controversies that follow their release. To understand why several films are taking the ‘token release’ route, we talk to trade experts and makers.

OTT platforms are majorly global companies. Given the controversies and legal hassles that we’ve seen with so many shows and films recently, this is thought of as the safest way. If there are any controversies or cases, they will get handled during the theatrical release and the onus would no longer be on the web platforms. This may help them to minimise any legal trouble, cases in point being Adipurush and The Kerala Story. Moreover, now they want to judge the audience’s reaction before taking the film on their platform.

- Atul Mohan, Trade Analyst

With our film, I don’t know why exactly the producers considered it a token release, but yes, we were really heartbroken as a team. We feel that though Dhak Dhak was a limited release, it could have been promoted well. And now that the word of mouth is spreading, we feel hamari baat mein dum toh tha. Agar theek se promote hoti toh zyada logon tak pahunch sakti thi yeh film.

- Tarun Dudeja, Director, Dhak Dhak

Films that are smaller in scale have no other option but to opt for a token theatrical deal because they probably have a pre-buy deal with a web platform and a certain monetisation of their film is already locked. OTT is playing smart because if they buy films for a direct release, they have to create all the noise and undertake marketing. Once they ask the producers to release the film in theatres, the latter has to manage that cost. If the film does well, OTT will cash in, but if it doesn’t, then they can negotiate on a lower rate for the rights. Having said that, it is a very sad trend since the rejection rate at OTT and the box office is very high now.

- Girish Johar, Producer and trade expert

I went to many streaming platforms for my film, but was told by all of them to release it in theatres first and only then could it drop on the web. I knew my film had an audience on digital platforms, but just to fulfil their freaking window, Shiv Shastri Balboa had to be released on the big screen first. We had to put in more money for that and the film didn’t do very well in the theatres but received so much appreciation once it came on OTT.

- Ajayan Venugopalan, Director, Shiv Shastri Balboa

Why should men make the rules? This question forms the core of Dhak Dhak. But much like the women in the film, first-time director Tarun Dudeja had a long road to this realisation. Along with writer Parijat Joshi, he had initially begun with the idea of making a movie about a woman, who takes a trip to Khardung La to realise her late father’s unfulfilled wish.

“Over time, we realised this premise was wrong. Why should a man have to do anything with a woman’s decision to do something? The agency should come from within,” emphasizes Dudeja. And from there was born the Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanjana Sanghi-starrer that tells the story of four women, whose road trip becomes a journey of self-discovery.

It took Dudeja and Joshi a year to develop the screenplay. What came next was harder—a four-year ordeal to find a producer who could back his vision.

“It took us four years to find producers. The constant rejections broke [us] from within. Then, there were suggestions given about the script that left me [boggled]. One was, ‘Make one of them a biker chick, shorten her outfits and show her legs.’ Another suggestion was, ‘Make it Ratna Pathak Shah’s on-screen husband’s last wish to go to Khardung La [rather than her own], and add his voice-over throughout the film.’”

Finally, Taapsee Pannu and Pranjal Khandhdiya entered the picture, producing it with Aayush Maheshwari, and Ajit Andhare of Viacom18 Studios. Dudeja says he lucked out with Pannu, Khandhdiya and Maheshwari, who became his pillars of support.

“Taapsee really liked the script. Her question was, ‘Who is directing it?’ She was told it was a first-time director, and then was shown my short film, Khayali Pulao [2020]. She felt that I knew how to capture emotions, and said, ‘I am here for you.’”

While filming Dhak Dhak was a dream run, Dudeja was disappointed to see how his passion project was barely promoted ahead of its release. “It broke my heart. It did the same for Taapsee, Aayush, Pranjal and all our actors. With OTT and satellite rights, studios secure a profit, and then they don’t feel like taking a risk [by way of its theatrical run]. That’s a corporate-driven decision. Even if you want, you can’t do much.”

But Dudeja also believes that his pain has been balanced with the enormous love that he has received from all those who have watched the movie.

‘Dhak Dhak’, Taapsee Pannu’s big-screen production, starring Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanjana Sanghi, releases in theatres today. Produced under her banner Outsider Films, the story follows four female bikers, total strangers, who hail from different backgrounds. As they embark on a road journey, it helps them discover life and themselves along the way.

A true believer of the big screen, Taapsee is glad that her labour of love releases in theatres on National Cinema Day, today. However, her experience as a new producer has been shockingly eye opening. Annoyed and disappointed with the system that still favours the stars, she fears it will only widen the gap between talented aspiring actors and massive movie stars, when there’s room for everyone.

“I truly believe in a good subject as an actor and a producer. Dhak Dhak is an interesting story, and we’ve left no stone unturned to ensure it makes for a great visual and emotional experience. Sadly, the entire system still revolves around the stars including the OTT, and everyone passes the buck. The film’s trailer was dropped barely four days before the release. I heard things like ‘yeh female oriented hai, sirf niche audience aayegi, itnay shows nahi milenge, baad mein OTT pe aani hi hai so why stress?’ XYZ ka trailer bhi late drop hua tha but my film is not Jawan. Smaller films need a certain push. People are free to accept or reject them, but they need a fair chance to be seen.”

Stressing on her prime concern, she says, “I have a first-time director Tarun Dudeja helming this, good actors who have given it their all. They learnt how to ride the bike for it. If there’s no buzz around the film, no promotions, one or two shows playing in theatres at strange times, the film is bound to go unnoticed. Everyone will be quick to label it as a ‘flop’. Once you get that label, will people even watch it on OTT later? Isn’t this infuriating?”

Everything boils down to the ‘star system’ eventually, something we believed ended with the advent of OTT, points out the actress. “This myth I had about people believing in ‘content is king’ was shattered while making this film. There’s so much hypocrisy. They will hear your one-line story and will be quick to ask, 'Picture mein actor kaun hai?' That decides their financial and emotional investment in the project. As an actor, I never asked who my co-star is, or how big the makers are when I signed a movie. I worked with so many first-time directors and costars who were newcomers but that is not how others look at it."

The actress concludes with a sigh, “Everyone involved is to be blamed for this culture. It includes the actors, studios, audience, everyone. It’s a cycle. Just because the studios recover their investment (by selling digital rights) for the smaller films, there’s minimal interest in packaging and releasing a film well. That’s detrimental to the growth of the industry because you are only enabling the big names. Baakiyon ko chance kaise milega? It will only widen the gap between actors and stars. We keep saying Bollywood doesn’t attempt something meaningful but when we try to do that, there’s rarely any support and this must change.”

It’s not often that you get it all—a best friend, a mentor of sorts and a lifetime of memories —on one movie set. But Fatima Sana Shaikh found that rare mix on the set of Dhak Dhak. On reading the script of Tarun Dudeja’s directorial venture, she knew she had to join the Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza and Sanjana Sanghi-starrer that revolves around four women on a journey of self-discovery.

“If I vibe with a director, I want to work with him/her, and Tarun is a lovely guy. He gave his all for this film. He was my best friend on the set,” begins Shaikh.

What made the experience richer was the talented cast. Sharing screen space with a veteran like Shah was akin to a masterclass in acting. “She gives [valuable] suggestions. Since she has been performing for years and is also a director, her understanding of acting is so deep. Whenever she talks, I feel I have to take notes,” she laughs, before heaping praise on Mirza.

“The whole country has a crush on Dia Mirza. As an actor, I want to be as good with my craft as they are.”

Shaikh will end the year with the December release, Sam Bahadur. She had more reasons than one to be part of the biopic on the late Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw—from the opportunity to play former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to incredible co-stars in Vicky Kaushal and Sanya Malhotra. But to her, it is the result of her love for director Meghna Gulzar’s work.

“When you see her on set, you understand what a genius she is, just on the basis of the amount of information she can retain. She is smart, detail-oriented and so sure about what she wants.”

Having one Gulzar film on her résumé is not enough for Shaikh, who has an odd request for the director, known for her sensitive dramas. “I keep joking with her, ‘Next time, you have to direct me in an item number.’ She tells me, ‘You don’t know what you are asking for,’” she laughs.

In her seven-year journey in the movies, Shaikh has been part of several acclaimed projects, including Ludo (2020) and Modern Love: Mumbai (2022). But the success of her debut film, Dangal (2016), stands out. Does she ever feel the pressure of topping the Aamir Khan-starrer?

“I can’t compete with how Dangal has impacted people. The only thing I can do is be a better actor than I was then. I was part of something very special, and such things don’t happen too often. Dangal will never be a shackle for me.”

For all the male-led road-trip films seen on screen, it was about time Bollywood depicted women having a trip of a lifetime. The wish has been fulfilled with Taapsee Pannu’s upcoming production, Dhak Dhak, which stars Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanjana Sanghi. 

Sanghi says that the early stages of prep indicated that this would be an empowering project. She laughs, “Every day, I would think, ‘I have learnt to ride an Enfield. Is this real?’”

Tarun Dudeja’s directorial venture, the poster of which was unveiled recently, tells the story of four women embarking on a road trip across the Himalayas, which brings with it epiphanies and discoveries. Sanghi praises Dudeja for bringing insight and sensitivity to the story, steering away from the male gaze one would assume he inherently harboured.

“When we read the script, we thought there has to be a woman ghost writer on it. It’s [unusual] for a man to understand a woman’s heart and thought process so well. He says it is because he has grown up with sisters and aunts,” she says.

Dhak Dhak gave the actor many rich experiences — from riding a Royal Enfield to shooting in “83 unique locations”. But it is the joy of working with three leading ladies that she holds closest to her heart. “None of us asked the producers who else was in the film. We read the script for our characters, and loved them so much,” she shares.

In Pathak, Sanghi says she has found a valued friend and guide. “I want to have her level of passion at that age. Ratna ma’am did 50 per cent of the riding on her own. We didn’t want to tire her out, but she was a fighter, and would say, ‘I am going to do it.’ With her, I would have chai sessions by the river. She still is my go-to person if I am having concerns about work. She understands me and my fire within.”

Viacom18 Studios, the production house behind powerful narratives and strong women characters from films such as Kahaani (2012), Queen (2013), Mary Kom (2014) and Padmaavat (2018), has joined hands with Outsiders Films in association with BLM Pictures for a new film, Dhak Dhak. Starring actors Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ratna Pathak Shah, Dia Mirza and Sanjana Sanghi, Dhak Dhak has been co-produced by actor Taapsee Pannu, Pranjal Khandhdiya and Ayush Maheshwari.

The film, co-written by Parijat Joshi and Tarun Dudeja, and directed by Tarun Dudeja, revolves around four women’s life-changing journey to the highest motorable pass in the world.

Pannu says, “At Outsiders Films, we aim to produce films that are meaningful and entertaining. We have attempted to give audiences a visual experience that they have rarely seen on screen. Dhak Dhak narrates the story of four women who realise that freedom has to be owned and is never given.”

Ajit Andhare, COO, Viacom18 Studios, says, “Dhak Dhak is a heart-warming story of four women undertaking a trip, breaking out of their cocoons and discovering themselves through this journey of introspection and adventure.”

Khandhdiya adds, “The partnership with Viacom18 Studios is a significant step for Outsiders Films. Dhak Dhak is a first-of-its-kind story about strong characters and a memorable bike ride in picturesque locations.”