Apr 21, 2026 1:58pm IST
Priyadarshan’s Next Is a Comedy With Pankaj Tripathi, Annu Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla (EXCLUSIVE)
With “Bhooth Bangla” already in the theaters, Priyadarshan seems to have now set his sights on his next project. The director will next helm an out-and-out comedy, and Variety India has exclusively learned that Pankaj Tripathi, Annu Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla have been signed on for the lead roles.
The yet-untitled film is a full-on comedy entertainer revolving around three elderly men navigating extraordinary and unpredictable circumstances, more along the lines of films like “Hungama” and “The Shaukeens.” Priyadarshan's regular collaborator, Rajpal Yadav, will also feature in a prominent role, while the casting for the female lead is currently underway. The director has finished writing and is expected to take it on floors in July 2026 with plans to wrap it up in a two-month one-off schedule.
This project represents a reunion for Priyadarshan with several of his actors. The director is collaborating with Pankaj Tripathi after 16 years, following "Aakrosh," in which he played a hitman, while Saurabh Shukla worked with Priyadarshan in the 2001 comedy drama "Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar.” Annu Kapoor has previously worked with the director on “Muskurahat” (1992) and “Gardish,” (1993) marking this latest project as their first collaboration in over three decades.
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Priyadarshan's film with Tripathi and others is said to be a quick project before Priyadarshan moves on to his landmark 100th film, starring his long-time friend and regular collaborator Mohanlal, in November 2026. The film is described as a musical drama revolving around a clash of egos and conflicting ideologies on music between a father and son, both renowned Carnatic singers. Priyadarshan also has an action thriller, "Haiwaan," with Akshay Kumar, slated to release in the second half of this year.
Meanwhile, “Bhooth Bangla,” which marks Akshay and Priyadarshan's much-awaited reunion after 16 years, is performing well at the box office. The film sustained well on Monday, collecting ₹64.75 crore net in four days, including paid previews. The horror-comedy is now eyeing a ₹100-crore-plus lifetime and could mark Akshay's much-needed commercial success after a string of box-office disappointments.
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