Yash Raj Films is finally stepping into the dark. In a studio pivot away from its signature espionage thrillers and glossy romances, the 54-year-old production powerhouse has locked Varun Dhawan to headline its first-ever horror film. The project, currently untitled and deep in pre-production, holds a confirmed worldwide theatrical release date of March 31, 2028.
Director Abhay Pannu, who earned widespread industry acclaim for orchestrating the period biographical drama Rocket Boys, will direct the feature. Studio head Aditya Chopra is steering creative development from the top. For Dhawan, the venture seals a long-delayed homecoming to the YRF fold — his first outing under the banner since headlining Sharat Katariya's small-town artisan drama Sui Dhaaga alongside Anushka Sharma.
Dhawan is no stranger to teeth, claws, and night shoots. He cut his teeth on supernatural territory in Amar Kaushik's creature comedy Bhediya, adopting full physical abandon to play a road contractor afflicted by a lycanthrope bite. Dhawan later reflected on surrendering entirely to the demands of practical prosthetics and visual effects:
It was insane. It was everything that I wanted it to be. And as an actor, I just surrendered to the director. He knew the world very well because he'd done Stree. So he knew the beats of the world. He knew the kind of reactions he needed. He knew the kind of things he wanted as far as the VFX of the film is concerned, prosthetics and stuff. We were all learning together. But Amar was too hands-on during the process.
The actor intends to balance both supernatural franchises back to back. Production on Bhediya 2 begins shortly, giving Dhawan consecutive dates inside genre-heavy cinematic universes before Pannu's cameras roll.
YRF, founded by the late Yash Chopra in 1970 and steered by Aditya Chopra since 2012, is aggressively diversifying its theatrical portfolio beyond standard tentpoles. While its spy machinery remains active, the studio has quietly built an eclectic slate spanning varied genres and mid-budget character pieces.
| Project Parameter | Official Detail | Production / Creative Lead |
|---|---|---|
| YRF Horror Project | Worldwide Theatrical Release: March 31, 2028 | Director Abhay Pannu, Starring Varun Dhawan |
| Creature Sequel | Bhediya 2 (Pre-shoot phase) | Starring Varun Dhawan, Directed by Amar Kaushik |
| Studio Project Alpha | Mupapa | Directed by Sameer Saxena, Produced by YRF |
| Multi-Starrer Project | Untitled Action Drama | Director Ali Abbas Zafar; Sharvari, Vedang Raina, Bobby Deol |
Alongside Pannu's feature, YRF has greenlit Sameer Saxena's upcoming directorial effort Mupapa. Simultaneously, filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar is prepping a multi-starrer fronted by Sharvari, Vedang Raina, and Bobby Deol. Full casting and technical credits for Dhawan's horror outing will roll out through the coming months as principal photography timelines solidify.
| Historical Anchor | Sui Dhaaga (Dhawan's prior YRF film) | Co-starring Anushka Sharma, Produced by YRF |