Anushka Sharma is taking it slow following the birth of her daughter. The Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi actress has revealed in media interviews that she would prefer to only take on projects that are worthwhile of her time rather than continue doing films only to stay in the game. She was supposed to be a part of Aamir Khan’s Campeones remake last year but is no longer involved with that project after Aamir backed out of it as an actor. With her sports biopic, Chakda Xpress, finished and set to release on Netflix this year, Anushka has now started looking for new projects and apparently has already locked in one for next year.
Peepingmoon.com has exclusively learned that Anushka Sharma is next doing a film with Varun Dhawan, teaming up again five years after their YRF social drama, Sui Dhaaga: Made In India. The yet-untitled project is an action entertainer and will be produced by Jawan director Atlee Kumar in collaboration with Murad Khetani, known for bankrolling films like Kabir Singh and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 in the past. Anushka has been cast as one of the two leading ladies, while the search for the second female lead is still underway. The makers were earlier in talks with Janhvi Kapoor for the female lead, but she is said to have turned it down citing date issues. They then offered this film to Anushka, who liked the script and immediately gave her nod. She is expected to sign on the dotted line after the final discussion with Atlee in June.
As we reported earlier, the Varun Dhawan film is the remake of Atlee’s 2016 Tamil hit, Theri, which starred Thalapathy Vijay, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Amy Jackson in the lead. Atlee and his team have apparently revamped the original script, incorporating several alterations to make it fresh and engaging for today's North Indian audience. The Hindi film is said to be not a straightforward remake but rather a reworked version of Theri with additional characters and plot twists. Tamil filmmaker Kalees, who has previously helmed the Jiiva-starrer 2019 techno-thriller Kee, will direct this film, and he has already started its pre-production to begin shooting by August 2023.
This new film with Varun Dhawan marks Anushka Sharma's first theatrical commitment since her appearance in Shah Rukh Khan's Zero in 2018 and will mark her first theatrical release in six years when it hits cinemas in summer 2024. Anushka’s next film, Chakda Xpress, meanwhile, is gearing up to premiere on Netflix later this year. The Prosit Roy-directed movie is based on the life of former Indian women’s team captain Jhulan Goswami and is expected to be an eye-opener in the world of women’s cricket. Varun Dhawan, on the other hand, is currently shooting for Raj & DK’s Amazon Prime series, Citadel, and has Nitesh Tiwari’s Bawaal with Janhvi Kapoor lined up for release in October. Talking about Atlee, he is currently nick-dipped into the post-production of Shah Rukh Khan’s masala entertainer, Jawan, slated to release in cinemas on September 7, 2023.
