Prem Keetanu, a Hindi remake of Malayalam hit Premalu, casts Veer Pahariya as a mischievous college kid at the centre of chaos, camaraderie and budding romance. Directed by Apoorv Singh Karki in his first theatrical comedy, the film explores young India’s love and life struggles with humour, co-starring Aafiya Sayed and Aparshakti Khurana, and releases worldwide on October 2, 2026.
Earlier this month, the makers of Apoorv Singh Karki's Prem Keetanu announced Sky Force (2025) actor Veer Pahariya as the film's lead.
On August 17, the makers also released its teaser—a classic college comedy, filled with chaos, camaraderie and the impish side of the experience. Prem Keetanu is said to be a remake of Gireesh AD's 2024 Malayalam blockbuster Premalu, starring Naslen and Mamitha Baiju.
Whether it be sleeping through classes, drinking with friends, bullying or getting bullied, navigating a college romance or getting into fist fights, the teaser is everything you would expect a rowdy, up-to-no-good college comedy to be, with Pahariya right at the center of it.
Directed by Karki, the film also stars Aafiya Sayed, Aparshakti Khurana, Rakesh Bedi and Nikhil Vijay in prominent roles, and is said to explore young India's aspirations and struggles in love and life in a comical yet relatable way.
Karki has previous directed titles including Bhaiyya Ji (2024) and Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai (2023), both starring Manoj Bajpayee. He has also directed select episodes of Aspirants, the TVF web series that developed a significant following. Prem Keetanu marks his first theatrical feature in the comedy genre.
Prem Keetanu is written by Deepak Kingrani and marks Gaurav Verma debut production under his newly launched banner Avanika Films. Co-presented by Verma with Phars Films and in association with Bhavana Studios, the film is slated for a worldwide theatrical release on October 2, 2026.