Exclusive | Neeraj Pandey’s Next to Go on Floors by Year-End; Filmmaker Says It’s Going to Be an ‘Extensive Film’

Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey, whose titles have been topping streaming charts over the last five years, is gearing up for his ambitious next directorial. While the filmmaker is tight-lipped about the subject, Pandey tells THR India that schedules are aligning for him to begin the feature, which he describes as a “consuming” film.

“I think by the end of this year I should be on floors with my film,” reveals Pandey, best known for acclaimed blockbusters like A Wednesday, Special 26 and Baby, the latter two headlined by Akshay Kumar.

“It’s an extensive film, so it requires a lot of prep. As we speak, there is scouting going on, trying to put everything together, and schedules are in the works. It’s going to be a consuming film.”

Pandey’s production house, Friday Filmworks — and its digital arm, Friday Storytellers — is building an “eclectic” mix of theatrical and streaming projects. At least four to five projects are in development in both categories, the filmmaker says, adding that in the next couple of years, his production house will back more films in terms of releases.

“It’s a good mix of genres. We are not doing something in just one particular space. It’s a diverse slate, chasing newer stories, chasing bigger ideas. By bigger ideas, I don’t mean budgets — it can be a small film with a big idea. So it’s an eclectic mix.”

The aim is to release at least five films over the next three years, two of which — including his own directorial — will begin production this year.

Pandey’s last theatrical outing was the 2024 romantic drama Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, headlined by Ajay Devgn and Tabu. On the streaming front, the filmmaker directed the Netflix heist thriller Sikandar Ka Muqaddar and the Emraan Hashmi-led series Taskaree, which released earlier this year.