Netflix India and Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films are extending their production partnership with a new untitled original built around a face-off between Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat. The dramatic action thriller is being directed by Kunal Deshmukh and is targeted for a mid-2027 premiere.
Plot details are still under wraps, but the two actors will play rivals, and the project is positioned to mix mainstream commercial action with layered character arcs. Abhishek Chauhan and Chinmay Mandlekar are also in the cast. Mandlekar, a Marathi actor and filmmaker, previously directed the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Inspector Zende for Netflix.
FTII friends, finally opposite each other
Varma and Ahlawat are FTII batchmates and close friends in real life. Despite that, they have only shared the screen once before – in Sujoy Ghosh’s 2023 Netflix mystery Jaane Jaan, led by Kareena Kapoor Khan. Putting them on opposing sides now gives the new film a ready-made promotional hook: two familiar faces whose off-screen equation is the opposite of their on-screen conflict.
This is also a casting decision grounded in platform data. Both actors carry a long Netflix history:
- Vijay Varma: She (2020), Darlings (2022), IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack (2024), Lust Stories 3 (2026)
- Jaideep Ahlawat: Bard of Blood (2019), Ajeeb Daastaans (2021), Maharaj (2024), Jewel Thief (2025)
For Netflix, that back catalogue lowers the cost of introducing them to subscribers. A viewer may meet them through an existing title, then be served this film as the next step.
Shoot moves from Nepal to Northeast India
Pre-production has been underway for roughly a month. Principal photography starts next week in Mumbai. The original plan to shoot in Nepal was dropped after the flash floods that hit the country in August; the affected leg has been shifted to Northeast India. The team will film the Mumbai schedule first, head to the Northeast, and return to Mumbai for the finale. Production is expected to finish by January.
That kind of location pivot is a reminder for campaign planners: even locked projects need buffer room, and a geography change need not move the release window if the schedule has slack.
What this means for the streaming slate
The new film extends Maddock’s Netflix track record, which already includes Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, Murder Mubarak and Sector 36. The production house also has the sequel to Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga on the way; contrary to speculation about a theatrical run, it will premiere directly on Netflix early next year. Sunny Kaushal and Yami Gautam will reprise their roles, with the story set on a cruise; filming has concluded.
Media planners should read the two announcements together. Netflix is not just buying one-off hits; it is stacking a slate of action thrillers built on existing talent relationships. That gives the platform repeatable franchise inventory and gives marketers a predictable pipeline to plan against.
For teams working on the eventual campaign, the play is straightforward: anchor early creative on the Varma-Ahlawat rivalry, and use subscribers’ viewing history of their previous Netflix titles as a targeting and discovery layer. The production timeline also leaves room for a long, gradual tease rather than a last-minute blitz.
Source: What’s on Netflix
