Apr 28, 2026 12:59pm IST
Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Dhanush to Collaborate For a Mythological Jungle Drama (EXCLUSIVE)
In one of the most exciting Bollywood-South Indian cinema crossover collaborations, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is teaming up with Tamil superstar Dhanush for a large-scale mythological jungle drama.
Variety India has exclusively learned that Bhansali has signed on Dhanush to headline what's being described as an ambitious jungle-set saga rooted in mythology. The ace filmmaker will produce it under his Bhansali Productions banner, while Tamil filmmaker P.S. Mithran has been roped in to direct. The director is widely known for helming films like “Irumbu Thirai”, “Hero” and “Sardar” and will mark his Hindi cinema debut with this project while also working with Dhanush for the first time.
P.S. Mithran was initially working on “Rowdy Rathore 2” for Bhansali Productions. However, when that project didn't materialize, they began exploring various story ideas, and that's when this mythological project set in a jungle backdrop emerged. After multiple rewrites and refinement, the story was finally locked a few months ago, with the search for its leading man starting immediately. Sources say Telugu star Ram Charan was initially in talks for this film, but the discussions fell through, paving the way for Dhanush to take on the lead role.
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For Dhanush, this yet-untitled film marks his most ambitious Bollywood outing to date, following his hat trick of successful collaborations with Aanand L. Rai on “Raanjhanaa”, “Atrangi Re” and the most recent “Tere Ishk Mein”. Bhansali's film is expected to push the actor into new creative territory, both in terms of scale and genre, presenting him in an on-screen avatar he hasn't yet explored in the regional cinema. Shooting is scheduled to commence early 2027.
Dhanush has several commitments down South that he will finish before moving on to the Bhansali production. He's currently shooting for Rajkumar Periyasamy’s D55 and will then start filming for Mari Selvaraj's next, followed by “Lubber Pandhu” director Pachaimuthu Thamizharasan's next project and “Vada Chennai 2”. The actor was also supposed to do the biopic of APJ Abdul Kalam, but its production remains uncertain. Dhanush's next theatrical release is Vignesh Raja’s period action thriller, “Kara”, set to hit cinemas this Friday.
Since its partnership with Saregama India — which acquired a 28% stake in Bhansali Productions for ₹325 crore, with an option to increase it to 51% by 2030 — the company has been expanding its lineup with a slew of ambitious projects. We recently revealed that the company has come on board to produce the long-gestating Madhubala biopic with “Dhurandhar” actress Sara Arjun locked to play the titular role. The banner has also announced a historical drama, “Jai Somnath", which traces back to 1025-1026 CE, when Mahmud of Ghazni attacked and plundered the Somnath Temple in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, Bhansali is currently shooting for his next period romance drama, “Love & War", starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. The majority of the filming has finished, with its next schedule set to begin early May. They will apparently be filming a massive-scale song over a 15-20-day-long schedule. The movie is scheduled to release in theatres on the Republic Day weekend 2027.
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