Imtiaz Ali’s next stars Diljit Dosanjh, Naseeruddin Shah, Vedang Raina, and Sharvari

Director Imtiaz Ali will make his long-awaited return to the big screen with a new love drama titled to incorporate intimacy into an epic tale. The film, still untitled, is scheduled to hit theatres on Baisakhi 2026 and will see Diljit Dosanjh, Naseeruddin Shah, Vedang Raina, and Sharvari deliver standout performances.

The film, described as “a charming story of love and longing,” is about a boy-girl romance, and the emotional lives of a nation. Written by Imtiaz, the film is purported to have a great deal of philosophical weight and deep emotional undertows. “Tum mere paas hote ho goya, Jab koi doosra nahin hota,” he quoted the poet Momin Khan Momin, setting the tone for a story that seems to weave together identity, memory, and personal tragedy.

The producers assure a movie that is “contemporary and witty” and rooted in a deep emotional core. The heart is big. “It has a large canvas, but it is very personal,” the team in their note says. The movie is to go into production in August 2025.

Imtiaz Ali has collaborated with veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah for the first time, as well as with new talent Vedang Raina, who featured in Jigra, and Sharvari, who is a part of YRF’s upcoming ladies spy franchise. Following their massive success with the musical biography Amar Singh Chamkila (2024), the film brings Ali back together with Diljit Dosanjh.

The movie will again feature A.R. Rahman’s music and Irshad Kamil’s lyrics, as they have been working together for years now since Highway, Tamasha, and Chamkila. This will also create more buzz. Imtiaz will be directing the soon-to-be-released Netflix series O Saathi Re, which stars Arjun Rampal, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Avinash Tiwary. The series, which was previously being directed by Arif Ali, is a sensitive take on contemporary relationships.

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