Months after the success of her impactful biopic “Sam Bahadur,” Meghna Gulzar is now set to direct her next film based on another real-life event. According to a report by Pinkvilla, her upcoming project will focus on the 2019 Hyderabad rape and murder case, featuring Kareena Kapoor and Ayushmann Khurrana in lead roles.
According to the report, Meghna Gulzar’s next film draws inspiration from real events surrounding the 2019 Hyderabad rape and murder case. The incident involved four men accused of raping a 26-year-old veterinary doctor near Hyderabad in November 2019, who were subsequently arrested and later shot dead by the Hyderabad police during a supposed reconstruction of the crime scene. In 2022, the Supreme Court determined that the encounter had been staged.
The report quotes a source close to the development saying, “Meghna has done all her research on the subject through the last few years and had a strong source material on place for her screenplay. She was moved by all that happened. Kareena and Ayushmann resonated with the emotions and are looking forward to team up on this special project.”
“Meghna is looking to take the film on floors by the end of 2024. It will arrive in the cinema halls in 2025,” the source added. The report stated that while both the actors have agreed to do the film “in principle,” the paperwork will be done within a week. This hard-hitting drama will mark Ayushmann and Kareena’s first collaboration together, as well as Meghna’s first with both actors.
Meghna Gulzar is renowned for her penchant for crafting films based on real-life events. Her recent directorial ventures include ‘Talvar’ (2015), featuring Irrfan Khan, which was based on the 2008 Noida double murder case and adapted from Avirook Sen’s book ‘Aarushi’. Her 2018 blockbuster ‘Raazi’, starring Alia Bhatt, was adapted from Harinder Singh Sikka’s biography ‘Calling Sehmat’. In 2020, she directed ‘Chhapaak’, starring Deepika Padukone, a biopic on acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. Last year, she helmed ‘Sam Bahadur’, starring Vicky Kaushal as former Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.
Ayushmann Khurrana is also set to star in an action comedy alongside Sara Ali Khan. Meanwhile, Kareena Kapoor Khan’s upcoming projects include “Singham Again” and “Buckingham Murders.”
