Early this year, reports started doing the rounds that actor Kunal Kemmu is all set to don the hat of a director with a feature film. The film, which is being produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment, reportedly stars Pratik Gandhi and Divyenndu Sharma. And now, News18 Showsha has exclusively learnt that the yet-to-titled project also features a third actor headlining the primary cast.
A source close to the production tells us that Laila Majnu (2018) and Bulbbul (2020) famed Avinash Tiwary has been roped in to play one of the protagonists in the film. It will mark the actor’s second collaboration with the production house following a web series titled Bambai Meri Jaan, based on journalist and author S Hussain Zaidi’s acclaimed book, Dongri To Dubai, which traces the rise of Dawood Ibrahim as one of the most notorious and infamous gangsters.
The source further reveals that the Gandhi, Sharma and Tiwary starrer is a buddy film with a twist and adds, “Known for their films about friendship and travel like Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), Excel Entertainment is all set to helm yet another film based on a similar template. This is a genre that has been made immensely popular by the production house. Kunal’s upcoming directorial can be touted as Dil Chahta Hai gone wrong.”
Interestingly, Akhtar and Sidhwani are also producing two other buddy films – Jee Le Zaraa and Kho Gaye Hai Hum Kahan. The former is a first-of-its-kind film themed on female friendships. It stars a stellar cast comprising Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt, who will be seen taking a road trip. It will be directed by Akhtar, who will return to the director’s chair after Don 2 – The King Is Back, which was released in 2011. Kho Gaye Hai Hum Kahan, on the other hand, is a new-age film about three friends living in Mumbai. It stars Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday and Adarsh Gourav.
We have also learnt that the film to be directed by Kemmu is currently under pre-production and if things go as planned, it is likely that it will go on floors later this year. “The prep for the film is in full swing at present. As per the current schedule, the shoot will kick-start towards the end of the year. It will be interesting to see actors like Pratik, Divyenndu and Avinash sharing screen space in the film. They’ve proved their mettle with their unconventional choices and they are sure to bring a whole lot of freshness and edge to the table,” the source shares.
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