Pictured: Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat
In an exciting casting development, Netflix India has brought together two of Hindi cinema’s most compelling actors, Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat, to headline its next Original film. Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films produces the project, set to be directed by Kunal Deshmukh, best known for helming Emraan Hashmi-starrer musical hits such as Jannat film franchise, Tum Mile, and Raja Natwarlal.
Plot details remain under wraps, though sources describe it as a dramatic action thriller. Varma and Ahlawat will face off against each other, portraying characters that blend mainstream commercial appeal with substantial, layered arcs. Their confrontation is expected to be one of the film’s key attractions, bringing together their contrasting screen personas in a story that promises to combine action with character-driven drama. The cast also includes Abhishek Chauhan and Chinmay Mandlekar, a prominent Marathi actor and filmmaker, who also directed Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Inspector Zende for Netflix.
FTII Friends Turned On-Screen Rivals
Varma and Ahlawat are close friends and studied together at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. They were batchmates who lived and trained together alongside actors like Rajkummar Rao. Both share an open, humorous dynamic and have always stood for each other through ups and downs of their careers. However, despite their long-standing bond, the two have worked together sparingly—they shared the screen only once in Sujoy Ghosh’s 2023 mystery thriller Jaane Jaan, also a Netflix Original, headlined by Kareena Kapoor Khan. With the streaming giant bringing the FTII friends together once again, this time on opposing sides of a dramatic conflict, anticipation rises around how their real-life camaraderie will translate into an intense on-screen confrontation.
Shoot Moves From Nepal to Northeast India
Pre-production has been going on for about a month now, and the shooting will officially kick off next week in Mumbai. The film was also supposed to be shot in Nepal, but the makers cancelled the plan following the destructive flash floods that hit the Himalayan country in August. They’ve since relocated the shoot to Northeast India. The team will film the Northeast leg after the initial Mumbai schedule and return to Mumbai for the final stretch. They are eyeing to finish production by January, with a premiere being targeted for mid-2027.
Maddock’s Netflix Slate and the Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga Sequel
The Vijay Varma-Jaideep Ahlawat film continues Maddock Films’ content partnership with Netflix. They’ve previously collaborated on Original film titles such as Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, Murder Mubarak, and Sector 36. The Dinesh Vijan banner also has a sequel to Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga lined up ahead. Although speculations were circulating about the sequel getting a theatrical release, we can confirm that it’ll premiere directly on Netflix early next year. Sunny Kaushal and Yami Gautam return to reprise their roles, with the story this time set aboard a cruise. Shooting has already concluded.
What’s Next for Varma and Ahlawat on Netflix
Both Varma and Ahlawat rank among the actors with the most Netflix India Originals to their credit. Varma has headlined films and shows such as She (2020), IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack (2024), Darlings (2022), and Lust Stories 3 (2026), while Ahlawat has appeared in titles like Bard of Blood (2019), Ajeeb Daastaans (2021), Maharaj (2024), and Jewel Thief (2025). Beyond this latest project, both have several more Netflix projects already lined up ahead: Varma will next be seen in Hansal Mehta’s Family Business, followed by Jamtara director Soumendra Padhi’s upcoming treasure-hunt series. You can find the details of that project here.
Meanwhile, Ahlawat, who’s been getting tons of accolades for his spectacular performance in Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam: The Conclusion, has Kohrra creator Sudip Sharma’s upcoming Netflix series in the slate. The thriller series also stars Barun Sobti and Abhishek Banerjee in the lead and is currently in post-production, eyeing a 2027 premiere. His upcoming lineup also includes Shah Rukh Khan’s King, Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s heist thriller Hisaab, and Mira Nair’s Amri, a biographical drama based on the life of the Hungarian-Indian painter Amrita Sher-Gil.