Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi join Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani

Karan Johar is adding a bit more pizazz to his first directorial venture in five years by including veterans Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi in the cast of his recently announced love story, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani (2022), starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt.

The star-studded announcement was revealed on Ranveer Singh’s 36th birthday. Johar, whose last film as director was Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), has made quite the casting coup by naming the veterans on his film.

A short video, narrated by Ranveer Singh and Bhatt, introduces the three legends to the film. The video seems to suggest that Dharmendra and Bachchan are playing Ranveer’s parents while Azmi is Bhatt’s mother.

Dharmendra and Bachchan last featured together in the cult classics Sholay (1975) and Chupke Chupke (1975), while the veteran actor and Azmi last shared screen space in Mardon Wali Baat (1988). Bachchan and Azmi, meanwhile, have never worked together.

Dharmendra was last seen on the big screen with sons Sunny and Bobby Deol in Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se (2018). Bachchan’s last Hindi film was Drona (2008), starring her son Abhishek as the title character. She made an appearance with her husband Amitabh in R Balki’s Ki & Ka (2016).

Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt were first paired together in Zoya Akhtar’s critically acclaimed Gully Boy (2019), winning accolades and awards for the leads. They were also due to star in Johar’s multi-starrer Takht, which was announced back in 2018. However, the film’s plans were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and no new plans have been announced for the film since.

The two young stars haven’t worked with any of the veterans so far.