Since announcing an ambitious action project on his 50th birthday in May 2022, set to follow Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, Karan Johar has taken a surprising turn. As per a recent report in Peeping Moon, What was planned as his bold foray into high‑octane storytelling is no longer on his directorial slate. Instead, Dharma’s iconic filmmaker is now scripting a fresh love story, aiming to launch filming in 2026. At the same time, his action venture, tentatively titled Lag Jaa Gale, has shifted directors with Raj Mehta now at the helm under Johar’s production banner.
New Action Drama “Lag Jaa Gale” by Raj Mehta
Raj Mehta, celebrated for blockbusters like Good Newwz (2019) and Jugjugg Jeeyo (2022), is directing Lag Jaa Gale. This marks the first on‑screen pairing of Tiger Shroff and Janhvi Kapoor. Sources describe the script as a “revenge action love story” set against a dramatic backdrop, blending romance with high‑impact sequences tailored for Tiger’s action flair. Preparations are on track for filming to begin in late 2025, once star commitments free up, Tiger will finish promotions for Baaghi 4, and Janhvi will wrap up work on Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari. The release is slated for the second half of 2026.
Rom‑Com “Kuku Ki Kundali” Moves from Raj Mehta to Sharan Sharma
In a creative exchange, Raj Mehta has passed his rom‑com project Kuku Ki Kundali to Sharan Sharma, who previously directed Dharma projects like Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl and Mr. & Mrs. Mahi. The film stars YouTube sensation Bhuvan Bam opposite Wamiqa Gabbi. Sharma reportedly took on the project after his human drama with Sidharth Malhotra was shelved. This realigns Mehta’s focus onto the action genre while entrusting Kuku Ki Kundali to a director experienced in lighter, character‑driven storytelling.
Why the Director Swap?
Karan Johar initially sought to broaden his repertoire into large‑scale action cinema. But after reviewing the script by Debashish Irengbam and Parijat Joshi, he felt action lay outside his core storytelling instincts. Impressed by the material, he chose to remain on board as producer while assigning direction to the best suited filmmaker Raj Mehta. Mehta himself had long harboured an ambition to direct an action film, having previously attempted the shelved franchise ‘Deadly’ with Varun Dhawan, Tiger Shroff and Janhvi Kapoor. With Lag Jaa Gale, his long‑deferred action debut has come full circle.
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What’s Next on Dharma’s Slate
Dharma Productions continues to roll out major titles. Kajol, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Ibrahim Ali Khan’s terrorism thriller Sarzameen premiered on Jio Hotstar yesterday. Triptii Dimri and Siddhant Chaturvedi’s Dhadak 2 is set for theatrical release on August 1. Later this year, Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor’s Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari arrives on October 2. Additional projects include an untitled spy comedy with Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan, Chand Mera Dil starring Lakshya and Ananya Panday, and two collaborations with Kartik Aaryan (Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri and Naagzilla) .
With this reshuffle, Dharma reshapes its creative direction, entrusting Lag Ja Gale to a director well suited for action, while giving the rom‑com baton to a skilled storyteller in Sharan Sharma. Johar continues his role as producer, steering the broader vision from behind the scenes.
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