Kartik Aaryan recently won his first National Award for Best Actor for his role in Kabir Khan’s 2024 sports drama ‘Chandu Champion’, and he now has many films coming up. ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 4’ and ‘Naagzilla’ are already popular upcoming projects, but people are talking the most about his untitled romantic musical with Anurag Basu, which also stars Sreeleela.
Bhushan Kumar confirms Kartik Aaryan-Anurag Basu film is nearly done
As with several of Basu’s earlier works, this project too has faced constant speculation about its timeline, with reports claiming it was delayed following the release of its first look in February 2025. Producer Bhushan Kumar, however, has now put these rumours to rest, confirming that the film is almost done. In conversation with Showsha, he shared, “Anurag Basu’s film is completing now. It is more or less complete. We’ll have to look for a release date and plan the release.”
Bhushan Kumar reveals Kartik Aaryan’s next with T-Series
Adding to this, Bhushan revealed that his production house, T-Series, is preparing to launch another project with Kartik Aaryan. The film, titled ‘Captain India’, will be directed by Shimit Amin, who was last seen directing ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman’ of the Year back in 2009. As he put it, “Now we’re starting Captain India with Shimit with Kartik, next month.” Shimit remains best known for helming the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer ‘Chak De India’.
Bhushan Kumar’s update contradicts what Anurag Basu had said earlier
Interestingly, Bhushan’s statement doesn’t quite line up with what Basu himself had said a few months earlier. In an April 2026 conversation with Variety India, Anurag had made it clear that the film was still a long way from completion. “That the majority of the shooting is done is a myth. I’ve not shot more than 45 days for this film. The shooting has just started,” he had said.
Why Bhushan Kumar’s film starring Kartik Aaryan faced release delays
The film starring Kartik Aaryan and Sreeleela was initially set for a December 2025 release before being pushed back. Rumours within the industry pointed to a possible box-office clash with Ranveer Singh‘s ‘Dhurandhar’ as the reason, while some attributed the delay to alleged resemblances with Mohit Suri’s hit ‘Saiyaara’. Basu, however, was quick to dismiss such claims. “Mohit and I are very close. I’m happy for his film’s success. The only similarity in our films is that the male lead is a rockstar, and the story is about his journey,” he told Mid-day.
Anurag Basu clarifies similarities with Mohit Suri’s ‘Saiyaara’
Basu pointed out that he was already familiar with Saiyaara’s plot since Mohit Suri had narrated it to him beforehand, highlighting the strong friendship between the two directors. He further added, “In my film, the girl doesn’t have dementia or any [other condition]. We are not rewriting or re-shooting. I knew beforehand that the girl had Alzheimer’s disease in Saiyaara. So, why would I write the same [plot point] in mine?”.
Bhushan Kumar’s past legal battle with Mukesh Bhatt over ‘Aashiqui’ title
As is widely known, Mohit Suri had originally planned ‘Saiyaara’ as ‘Aashiqui 3’, but after the project didn’t pan out, he turned it into a standalone film backed by YRF. Around the same time, Bhushan Kumar of T-Series and Mukesh Bhatt of Vishesh Films, who together produce the ‘Aashiqui’ franchise, had unveiled their own version of the third film, with Anurag set to direct and Kartik in the lead role. However, this project soon ran into legal complications after the two producers had a falling out. The disagreement was over rights to the ‘Aashiqui’ title, a matter that eventually went to the Delhi High Court. The verdict favoured Mukesh Bhatt, stopping the makers from calling their film ‘Aashiqui 3’.For now, Kartik Aaryan and Anurag Basu’s film is yet to receive an official title.
