Kartik Aaryan, Sandeep Modi reunite at Dharma for new action thriller

Dharma Productions is bringing Kartik Aaryan and director Sandeep Modi back together for a new project. After their planned period action drama was shelved, the trio has now zeroed in on a fresh, high-concept action thriller that is expected to begin production early next year.

Details about the plot remain tightly guarded, but sources indicate the film will blend action, romance and suspense. Kartik is said to be playing a role that marks a significant departure from his previous work, offering a commercially viable yet distinctly different action avatar.

A source close to the development said that Karan Johar, Sandeep Modi and Kartik Aaryan have been in discussions since the earlier film fell through. They have now settled on a story that presents Kartik in a new light. Modi is currently finalising the script and is expected to start pre-production by the end of this year.

This will be Kartik's third collaboration with Dharma Productions. He previously starred in the romantic comedy Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri and is set to appear in the upcoming fantasy comedy Naagzilla, which releases around Valentine's Day next year.

For Modi, this marks his first theatrical Hindi directorial venture. He made his debut with the 2019 Marathi film Chumbak.

The earlier period action drama, announced in November 2023, was planned for a 2024 shoot and an Independence Day 2025 release. However, it stalled because the makers could not secure the life rights of the real-life figure the character was based on, and the budget escalated beyond what was viable at the time.

Kartik's schedule remains packed. He has completed shooting for Naagzilla, while Anurag Basu's musical romance and Kabir Khan's sports drama are in production. He is also set to begin Shimit Amin's Captain India in September. The Sandeep Modi film will be taken up only after these commitments are wrapped.