In the final moments of Stree 2, Varun Dhawan’s character tells Abhishek Banerjee’s Janaa that blood-sucking beasts are wreaking havoc in Delhi, thus seeding the idea of Vampires Of Vijay Nagar. Now, the makers are setting the Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna-starrer into motion. mid-day has learnt that director Aditya Sarpotdar will kick off the horror comedy’s shoot in Mumbai in the first week of October, with the leads facing the camera by the third week.

So, what’s the next offering in the horror comedy universe all about? We’ve heard the film plays out against two backdrops—the present day set in a small town of north India, and in Vijayanagara of the ancient past. In the first schedule, Sarpotdar will focus on the portions depicting the present.

A source says, “The first schedule will kick off with a night shift. The production team will design a set reflecting a north Indian town. Ayushmann will be shown as an adventure-loving, sports enthusiast, while Rashmika has a layered role. She will also sport a distinct look in the film. Their look tests will take place in the first week of September.”

The source also indicates that Vijayanagara—which served as the capital of the flourishing Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century, and is known as Hampi today—and its history will be a crucial part of the narrative.

Sarpotdar, who tasted success with Munjya a few months ago, has roped in most members from that film’s team. “Production designers Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray, DoP Saurabh Goswami, costume designer Sheetal Sharma and writer Niren Bhatt are part of the team. Having written Bhediya [2022], Munjya and Stree 2, Niren knows exactly how to connect each story, and has written a convincing backstory for Vampires Of Vijay Nagar.”

What’s the recipe for a Rs 100-crore film? In a year that has largely seen movies faring poorly at the box office, Munjya—led by the relatively new face, Abhay Verma, and helmed by a Marathi filmmaker making inroads into Hindi cinema—has become a sleeper hit. The horror comedy’s gross collection crossed the Rs 100-crore mark on Monday, only the third film to achieve the feat this year after Fighter and Shaitaan. A thrilled Aditya Sarpotdar attributes the strong run to the story’s roots in Maharashtrian culture.

“What worked is that Munjya’s narrative was rooted in local Maharashtrian folklore. The story and the character were unique. When I visited theatres, most people said they were waiting to watch a movie that did not follow the storytelling template,” shares the director.

With Munjya, Sarpotdar—who previously helmed Marathi offerings Faster Fene (2017) and Zombivli (2022)— revisited the folklore of a Brahmin boy who, after his death, becomes a mischievous spirit residing on a peepal tree.

“A Rs. 100-crore film definitely sets the bar high. This gives us confidence to continue making films where the story and plot are the stars, where talent is preferred over star value, and where the scale is secondary to the story’s emotional connect. I’ve made over eight feature films in Marathi. I want to follow the way I have been making films all along.”

Recently, his peers from the Marathi film industry came together to celebrate the feat. He views Munjya’s success as more than a personal win.

“As filmmakers from the Marathi film industry, we’ve always supported each other. We know how difficult it has been to not only make our movies on a bigger scale in Hindi, but also to make a mark in this industry. So, the success of any of our movies is a collective success of the Marathi filmmakers’ community. Now, Bollywood is opening up to regional talent as we all are realising that the audience prefers content over everything else. Regional filmmakers have always prioritised content over star power.”

We can’t end our chat without asking whether a sequel to Munjya is in the works. It’s an emphatic yes from Sarpotdar. But before that, he will add a vampire story to producer Dinesh Vijan’s horror comedy universe, with Ayushmann Khurrana.

“We plan to make a fitting sequel. But as of now, I’m working on a romantic horror fantasy, tentatively titled Vampires Of Vijay Nagar.”