Sunny Deol, Pooja Bhatt, Dulquer Salmaan, Shreya Dhanwanthary to star in R Balki's next feature

Director R Balki has announced his next project, a thriller, with a new ensemble cast. The director has roped in Dulquer Salmaan and Shreya Dhanwanthary as well as Pooja Bhatt and Sunny Deol for key roles. This is the first time the artistes have joined forces. 

There were reports about the director being involved in a psychological thriller with Dulquer in May 2021. However, the filmmaker remained mum on the subject.

Speaking about the project, Balki said in a statement, "After months of waiting, for me, it is exciting to start shooting anything. And to make a film in a genre that I haven't attempted before is even more exciting. I have had the idea for a long time but never quite got around to writing it, and while it's fundamentally a thriller, it banks so much on these four stunning performers. I just can't wait to get into the edit room."

The director was also ecstatic for his first collaboration with Deol. He added, "I am ecstatic to be working with Sunny, an actor whose booming screen presence conveys so much. I am glad he is back and hoping this new adventure will add a new dimension to his glorious filmography.”

In a statement, Balki said, "Pooja is one of the most versatile actors in our industry and I must thank Alankrita [Shrivastava] for convincing her and getting another extraordinary performance from her in Bombay Begums. She is clarity personified and just born to be in front of that camera and on-screen."

The director also cast Shreya Dhanwanthary, whose performance in Hansal Mehta's Scam: 1992 caught his attention. He said, "After watching Shreya’s performance in both Scam 1992 and Family Man, I just knew that I would eventually work with this talented girl. She is one of the most exciting and contemporary performers and I am looking forward to the on-screen chemistry between her and Dulquer.”

The venture will also be the filmmaker's first tryst with the thriller genre. His last film was the Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan-led Mission Mangal (2019).

The film is scheduled to be released in 2022.