Kartik Aaryan-Anurag Basu film is ‘more or less complete’, says Bhushan Kumar | Bollywood News
4 min readMumbaiJul 29, 2026 09:50 PM Kartik Aaryan, who is riding high after winning his maiden National Award for Best Actor for his performance in Kabir Khan’s 2024 sports drama Chandu Champion, has a packed slate of films ahead. While Bhool Bhulaiyaa 4 and Naagzilla remain among his most talked-about upcoming projects, the one that has generated the most curiosity is his untitled romantic musical with Anurag Basu, co-starring Sreeleela.
‘Anurag Basu’s film is more or less complete’
Like many of Basu’s films, the project has been the subject of intense speculation over its production timeline, with reports suggesting it had been delayed after its first look was unveiled in February 2025. However, producer Bhushan Kumar has now dismissed such speculation, confirming that the film is nearing completion. Speaking to Showsha, he said, “Anurag Basu’s film is completing now. It is more or less complete. We’ll have to look for a release date and plan the release.”
Bhushan further revealed that his production house, T-Series, is also gearing up to begin another film with Kartik Aaryan. The film, Captain India, will be directed Shimit Amin, who last helmed Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year in 2009. He said, “Now we’re starting Captain India with Shimit with Kartik, next month.” Shimit is best known for directing Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Chak De India.
Interestingly, Bhushan’s update appears to differ from what Anurag Basu had said just a few months ago. In a conversation with Variety India in April 2026, Anurag had maintained that the film was still far from complete. “That the majority of the shooting is done is a myth. I’ve not shot more than 45 days for this film. The shooting has just started,” he had said.
Reported similarities with Saiyaara
The Kartik Aaryan-Sreeleela film was originally slated for a December 2025 release but was later postponed. Industry speculation suggested the delay was prompted a potential box-office clash with Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar, while others linked it to alleged similarities with Mohit Suri’s blockbuster Saiyaara. However, Basu had firmly rejected such comparisons. “Mohit and I are very close. I’m happy for his film’s success. The only similarity in our films is that the male lead is a rockstar, and the story is about his journey,” he told Mid-day.
Asserting that he was already aware of Saiyaara’s storyline because Mohit Suri had narrated it to him, Basu emphasised that the two filmmakers share a close bond. He added, “In my film, the girl doesn’t have dementia or any [other condition]. We are not rewriting or re-shooting. I knew beforehand that the girl had Alzheimer’s disease in Saiyaara. So, why would I write the same [plot point] in mine?”
Also Read | The women of Omkara make it the crown jewel of Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespeare trilogyStory continues below this ad
Dispute over film’s title
It is well known that Mohit Suri had originally developed Saiyaara as Aashiqui 3. However, the project eventually fell through, prompting him to rework it as a standalone film under YRF’s banner. Meanwhile, Aashiqui franchise producers Bhushan Kumar of T-Series and Mukesh Bhatt of Vishesh Films announced a separate third instalment with Anurag Basu directing and Kartik Aaryan in the lead.
The project later got embroiled in a legal dispute after Bhushan Kumar and Mukesh Bhatt parted ways. The disagreement centred on the use of the Aashiqui title, with the matter reaching the Delhi High Court. The court eventually ruled in Mukesh Bhatt’s favour, preventing the makers from using Aashiqui 3 as the film’s title.
As of now, the official title of Kartik Aaryan and Anurag Basu’s film has not been announced.
