Amruta Khanvilkar Reunites With ‘Shala’ Director Sujay Dahake for Marathi Suspense Thriller ‘Raktaphal’ (EXCLUSIVE)

More than a decade after “Shala,” actor Amruta Khanvilkar and filmmaker Sujay Dahake are set to collaborate once again. Variety India has exclusively learned that the duo is reuniting for the Marathi suspense thriller “Raktaphal.”

The project brings Khanvilkar and Dahake together after their association on “Shala,” the 2011 adaptation of Milind Bokil’s novel of the same name, in which Khanvilkar played Paranjpe Bai. The film went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi.

While further plot details are being kept under wraps, “Raktaphal” is set in Goa and takes tonal inspiration from the Johnny Depp-led “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” The film unfolds in a heightened reality with slight fantasy elements, revolving around a mysterious new fruit that enters the market and gradually takes over, setting the stage for a suspense-driven narrative.

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The poster shoot has already been completed, with the team expected to begin principal photography within the next two to three days.

Amruta Khanvilkar has Marathi films such as “Katyar Kaljat Ghusali,” “Chandramukhi” and “Well Done Baby” to her credit, alongside Hindi projects including “Raazi,” “Satyameva Jayate” and “Malang.” She has also been a familiar face across Indian television and reality programming.

Dahake, who made his directorial debut with “Shala,” has explored different forms of storytelling through projects including “Ajoba,” “Phuntroo” and other works spanning literary adaptations, family dramas, science fiction and digital formats.

With “Raktaphal,” Amruta Khanvilkar and Sujay Dahake enter a markedly different creative territory from their previous collaboration, moving from the nostalgic world of “Shala” into a genre space shaped by mystery, suspense and surreal elements.