Apr 22, 2026 3:43pm IST
‘Dhurandhar’ Actress Sara Arjun Confirmed to Play ‘Madhubala’ In Biopic Produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
After years of unsuccessful attempts, the long-gestating biopic on legendary Indian actress Madhubala is finally happening. Variety India can confirm that Sara Arjun has been locked in to play the evergreen diva on-screen, marking her first major Hindi project, following the blockbuster success of the “Dhurandhar” franchise.
The ambitious biographical drama will be a straight-to-streaming film, with its production expected to begin in July 2026. Sanjay Leela Bhansali will produce, while Jasmeet K. Reen, who made her directorial debut with Alia Bhatt and Shefali Shah-starrer “Darlings” will helm the project. Jasmeet has been working on this project for the past couple of years but it was put on the backburner due to budgetary constraints. The film gained momentum again after Bhansali came on board as producer, as Variety India reported last month.
Sara, who made her Bollywood debut with Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar's “Dhurandhar”, will undergo an extensive physical and stylistic transformation to embody Madhubala’s iconic beauty, grace, and screen presence. While she has already begun her preparation for the role, casting is still underway for the two male leads who will play Dilip Kumar and Kishore Kumar.
Related Stories
As reported earlier, the makers were initially keen on Kiara Advani for the lead but the talks fell through, paving the way for Sara Arjun who has been drawing attention for her striking screen presence since her debut with “Dhurandhar”.
The yet-untitled film will chronicle the extraordinary life and legacy of Madhubala, one of the greatest actresses of Indian cinema. It will explore not only her iconic career but also her personal struggles; her turbulent relationships with Dilip Kumar and her husband Kishore Kumar; and her tragic death at the age of 36.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.