Lights, Camera, Scoop: Rajkummar Rao's Biopic Era, Dia Mirza's Production 2.0 and Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Cop Is Back

The Biopic Man

Rajkummar Rao is ready to take on two new adventures which will challenge him as an actor and make him—literally—look different on screen. Sources indicate that Rao has been locked in for two different biopics, set in diametrically different landscapes. Rao will play former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly and has also given his nod to headline the film on the life of renowned public prosecutor, Ujjwal Nikam.

Industry insiders say the Ganguly biopic could be potentially helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane, who will yet again dive into a new genre and will likely team up with some of his trusted technicians, including Pratik Shah, the DoP of Jubilee.

Those who have been a part of the pre-production say the team will shoot the film in Kolkata and London, but it won't be a "regular" biopic. The film, they insist, will experiment with form and narrative structure, and the team is excited to hit the floor.

The team behind the Ujjwal Nikam biopic is also prepping accordingly with Rao's schedules to dive into the project. The shooting timelines will have to be figured, as it was a project that at one point was being considered by superstar Aamir Khan to headline.

Rao, meanwhile, is awaiting the release of his romantic-comedy Bhool Chuk Maaf, which is finally releasing in cinemas after overcoming its own theatrical adventures.

Face Off

Talking about sequels, Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai 2 is currently under post-production as the team wrapped up the shoot earlier this month. The Honey Trehan-directed murder mystery had debuted in 2020 to immense acclaim as it followed Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Inspector Jatil Yadav solving an intricate case.

Those who have seen the early rushes say that the sequel witnesses Siddiqui's cop solving a new case, and will also feature a performance — from Deepti Naval in a never-before-seen before avatar — that will knock everyone out. Raat Akeli Hai 2 also sees the addition of Chitrangada Singh to the cast.

Further details are kept under wraps as the team is busy with getting the film ready. This year, Siddiqui will be seen in Maddock Films' horror comedy Thama too, and is also attached to headline the Indian adaptation of the popular American medical drama series House.

Back to Production

Dia Mirza, who first dabbled in production with her banner Born Free Entertainment—backing one series and two feature films, including Vidya Balan-starrer Bobby Jasoos—is gearing to get back into the production hot seat.

THR India has learnt that Mirza has revived her production house ambitions and already put her money where her mouth is, by backing a Marathi short film that industry circles are calling a powerful movie.

While the film does the festival rounds, Mirza has also backed another short film and is simultaneously working on producing two feature films; the writing of both is currently underway as the teams are finishing respectively screenplays, with a cast on board in principle.

The actor is also attached to a feature film script, which she had to pause back in the day as the timing wasn't right.