Jun 15, 2026 10:00am IST
Aditya Sarpotdar on ‘Munjya 2’: ‘I Would Rather Not Make It Than Deliver Something Mediocre’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Two years ago, Aditya Sarpotdar turned a relatively lesser-known Konkan folk spirit into one of Hindi cinema’s biggest surprise success stories. As “Munjya” emerged as a theatrical hit and became a key pillar of Maddock Films’ expanding horror comedy universe, the filmmaker found himself at the center of conversations about what comes next. While audiences continue to ask about “Munjya 2,” Sarpotdar says his immediate focus remains on the upcoming “Shakti Shalini.”
“Munjya” arrived without the burden of a major superstar or franchise expectations and went on to become a breakout theatrical hit, crossing the ₹100 crore mark worldwide. Suddenly, Sarpotdar became one of the key architects shaping a universe that now stretches across “Stree,” “Bhediya,” “Munjya,” “Thama” and the upcoming “Shakti Shalini.”
The obvious question ever since has been: When is “Munjya 2” happening? The filmmaker tells Variety India, “I get a lot of messages about it and it's good to know people want to watch it. But that's the point. I can't disappoint them with something that's mediocre. I would rather not make it than deliver something that's not up to the standard.”
He is prepared to wait. “I'm okay with being asked maybe 10 years later, ‘Why didn't you make it?’ But until I don't feel that my script matches a certain level or a quality and is something totally new and beyond people's expectations, I will not make it.”
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Building a Sequel in a Fast-Changing Industry
For Sarpotdar, the challenge is not simply making a sequel. It is making one in an industry that is evolving at a rapid pace. “Cinema changes, viewing patterns change, what is being consumed changes. Everything changes so quickly that if you're writing a film right now that you think will knock it out of the park, by the time it releases, it becomes stale. The speed at which the world moves right now, with what's innovative in terms of content, what AI is bringing to the table, what creators are creating on a daily level, all this has to be taken into account when we make our next film.”
That partly explains why “Munjya 2” is not his immediate priority. “Right now the focus is around ‘Shakti Shalini’.” And “Shakti Shalini” has become something of an obsession. The filmmaker reveals that the film has already wrapped production and entered post-production.
“Yeah, we wrapped up the shoot and are now into post-production. It was a massive shoot, so the whole planning and execution had to be done meticulously. So now we are back in the edit room. Right now, what I really want to focus on and get right is ‘Shakti Shalini’. That's the big game,” he says.
Entering a New World With ‘Shakti Shalini’
For Sarpotdar, the excitement lies in the fact that “Shakti Shalini” expands the Maddock universe into a completely new geography and setting. “In terms of all the supernatural stuff that we try to bring to our films and in terms of world-building, what was exciting and interesting was to go into a world I hadn't been to before: MP, specifically Chambal. All of that world is very unique for me.”
Equally important to him is the film’s young cast, led by Aneet Padda and Vishal Jethwa. “It is very inspiring and liberating to work with your young, good talent. Aneet and Vishal are young, talented actors and they bring so much to the table without any fear of being judged or failure. They go at it and it's a lot of fun to work with them.”
Summing up the experience of making the film, he says, “The process of ‘Shakti Shalini’ has so far been very exciting.”
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