Karan Johar announced Dharma Productions' next phase as the banner completed 40 years on Thursday. The filmmaker introduced the 14 directors — which include first-timers and established figures — who will be helming the next slate of Dharma Productions projects.
In a video that was posted on social media, Johar said, “I’ve always felt and believed that the spine of our company lies with the innumerable filmmakers that have told their stories with passion and with abandon.” The names of the filmmakers were then revealed: Collin D'Cunha, Bhanu Pratap Singh, Sharan Sharma, Kayoze Irani, Anubhuti Kashyap, Raj Mehta, Paras Chakravarti, Karan Singh Tyagi, Amrit Pal Bindra, Shazia Iqbal, Anand Tiwari, Vivek Soni, Pushkar Ojha and Sagar Amre.
In the last 4 decades, Dharma Productions has inspired and championed over 20 storytellers to set new benchmarks of creating stories that resonate with the audience.
— Dharma Productions (@DharmaMovies) March 4, 2021
With this new wave of filmmakers, Dharma Productions aims to push the envelope even further. pic.twitter.com/ij7HRVFgI2
On Wednesday, the digital arm of the banner, Dharmatic Entertainment, unveiled five projects that will be released on Netflix this year: Finding Anamika, Ajeeb Daastaans, Meenakshi Sundareshwar, Searching For Sheela and Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives.
Mehta and Irani are helming a segment each for the anthology film Ajeeb Daastaans, while Soni — a first-time filmmaker — will direct the romantic drama Meenakshi Sundareshwar starring Sanya Malhotra and Abhimanyu Dassani.
D'Cunha is directing Dostana 2 (2021) starring Kartik Aaryan, Janhvi Kapoor and newcomer Lakshya. The rest of the filmmakers’ projects are yet to be revealed, but they are likely to be a diverse mix of theatrical and digital releases.