After ‘Saiyara’, Mohit Suri will now direct a gangster drama. Based on a story by Ram Gopal Varma, the film will feature realistic action alongside emotionally driven characters.
Mumbai: Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is set to return to the world of crime and the Mumbai underworld with a new gangster drama, this time in collaboration with filmmaker Mohit Suri. The upcoming project will be a two-lead film, with Suri directing and Varma writing the story and screenplay while also serving as a co-producer.
The film is still in the early stages of development, and the makers have not officially announced its title or cast. However, Varma has already revealed some details about the story and made a major claim about the scale and treatment of the project.
According to Varma, Suri’s film will be larger in scale than Dhurandhar and more grounded emotionally than his own 1998 gangster classic Satya. The story will reportedly be set against a significant period in Mumbai’s underworld history, including the split between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan and events that followed the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.
Ram Gopal Varma Reveals Story Details
Varma shared details about the project on social media on September 14. He said the story is set around the period when Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan went their separate ways.
The filmmaker also mentioned a character named ‘Sautya’, whose role is said to be connected to the events surrounding the split. It is not yet clear whether the character is based directly on a real person or has been created for the film.
The story will reportedly move beyond the internal conflicts of the Mumbai underworld. Varma said the narrative will also explore the role of Indian intelligence agencies and developments following the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai.
This suggests that the film could combine elements of organised crime, intelligence operations and major historical events rather than focusing only on gang rivalries.
Why Varma Compared It With ‘Dhurandhar’ and ‘Satya’
Varma has made an ambitious comparison while talking about the project. He believes Suri’s film will be bigger in scale than Dhurandhar, while its emotional treatment will be more grounded than Satya.
According to Varma, Suri has taken the subject he wrote and expanded it with his own filmmaking approach. He said the director is bringing emotionally driven characters, music and realistic action to the story.
The comparison with Satya is particularly significant because the 1998 film is regarded as one of Varma’s most influential works. Starring J.D. Chakravarthy, Manoj Bajpayee, Urmila Matondkar, Paresh Rawal and Saurabh Shukla, the film explored the Mumbai underworld through its characters and relationships rather than relying only on large-scale action.
Varma’s new project therefore marks another return to the kind of crime-driven storytelling that became closely associated with his earlier work.
A New Genre for Mohit Suri
The project also represents a departure for Mohit Suri.
Suri is primarily known for emotionally intense and romantic films. His recent release Saiyaara brought him renewed attention among younger audiences and became an important success in his career.
A gangster drama rooted in the Mumbai underworld will therefore place him in a different storytelling space.
Varma has indicated that Suri is combining the crime-based subject with his own strengths, including emotional characters, music and realistic action. The collaboration could consequently bring together two distinct filmmaking styles.
While Varma has considerable experience with crime and underworld stories, Suri has built his reputation around emotional narratives and music-driven storytelling. The film is expected to draw from both approaches.
Two Lead Characters at the Centre
The upcoming film is being planned around two major male characters. Both are expected to have significant roles in the story, but the identities of the actors have not been officially disclosed.
Reports suggest that the makers are considering two established stars for the central roles. Casting is still under development, and any names currently circulating should be treated as unconfirmed until an official announcement is made.
The project is also reportedly being planned for a production timeline that could see filming begin around the end of 2027. However, the schedule has not been finalised and could change depending on casting and pre-production.
Yash Raj Films Connection
Yash Raj Films is also reportedly associated with the project. The film is said to be built around its two principal male characters and is being developed as a major-scale production.
However, several important details remain under wraps. The official title, final cast, budget, shooting locations and release date are yet to be announced.
With the project still in its development phase, reports about possible actors or release schedules should not be considered confirmed unless they come directly from the filmmakers or production house.
Why Dawood-Chhota Rajan Split Matters
The historical backdrop of the film is rooted in one of the most significant developments in Mumbai’s organised crime history.
Dawood Ibrahim became associated with the D-Company network and has been designated a terrorist by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. His name has also figured prominently in investigations and cases involving organised crime and terror networks.
Chhota Rajan was once regarded as a close associate of Dawood before the two eventually parted ways. Their split became a major development in Mumbai’s underworld and led to a prolonged rivalry between the two sides.
Varma’s upcoming film is expected to use this period as a foundation for its narrative. However, the filmmakers have not yet revealed how closely the fictional story will follow real-life events.
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1993 Mumbai Blasts Also Part of the Narrative
Another major historical event referenced by Varma is the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.
On March 12, 1993, a series of coordinated explosions struck Mumbai, killing 257 people and injuring around 1,400, according to details recorded in the Supreme Court’s judgment related to the case.
The investigation and subsequent trial became a significant chapter in India’s criminal justice and counter-terrorism history.
Varma has indicated that the new film will not simply recreate the bombings. Instead, the narrative is expected to explore developments that followed the attacks and the role of Indian intelligence agencies during that period.
How these real events will be incorporated into the fictional storyline remains unclear.
Mystery Around ‘Sautya’
The mention of ‘Sautya’ has become one of the most intriguing elements of the project.
Varma has identified the character while discussing the period of the Dawood-Chhota Rajan split, suggesting that the individual will have an important role in the story.
At present, there is no official confirmation about whether ‘Sautya’ represents a real person, is inspired by an existing underworld figure or is entirely fictional.
The ambiguity surrounding the character has added to the curiosity around the film, particularly because the story appears to draw from real events while introducing fictional elements.
Varma Returns to Underworld Storytelling
The new project takes Varma back to a genre that has been an important part of his filmmaking career.
After Satya, he explored Mumbai’s organised crime world through films such as Company and D. His crime films often focused on the people operating within the system and the relationships that shaped their choices.
The collaboration with Mohit Suri gives him an opportunity to revisit the genre from a different perspective.
Varma is also preparing other projects. His upcoming Police Station Mein Bhoot stars Manoj Bajpayee, with Ramya Krishnan and Genelia D’Souza also part of the cast. Another project, Police Company, has reportedly been linked with Harshvardhan Rane.
Mohit Suri’s Next Challenge After ‘Saiyaara’
For Suri, the gangster drama comes at an important point in his career following the success of Saiyaara.
The filmmaker is also reportedly working on another project featuring Saiyaara actors Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, which is said to be associated with Yash Raj Films.
His collaboration with Varma could represent a significant shift in genre and give him an opportunity to combine his emotional storytelling style with a darker crime narrative.
For now, the project remains in development, with its final cast, title, production schedule and release details still awaited. But Varma’s claims about its scale, combined with the Mumbai underworld backdrop and Suri’s involvement, have already generated considerable interest around the film.
