Karan Johar is taking Dharma Productions into creature territory. The banner is gearing up to shoot two high-concept theatrical projects by the end of 2026 – one a large-scale mythological creature feature, the other a creature comedy with a lighter hook.
Sources close to the production house have told Pinkvilla that the films are among Dharma’s most ambitious plans for the next two years. Casting is still under wraps, but the studio is said to be mounting them at full scale without compromise.
The slate around the two movies
Dharma Productions already has several titles moving. It is building on Kao, Radha Krishna and Gadadhari Bheem, and is preparing the quirky spy comedy Udta Teer with Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan. Kuku Ki Kundali and Lag Ja Gale are scheduled for 2027.
Against that lineup, the two creature films serve as the banner’s big theatrical swings. One will be helmed by National Award-winning filmmaker Sandeep Modi, best known for Arya and Night Manager.
- Both films are expected to go on floors by December 2026
- One is a mythological creature feature; the other is a high-concept creature comedy
- One project will get a video announcement with Ramayana around Diwali
- Sandeep Modi will direct one of the two films
Why this move is worth watching
Dharma has long been read as the home of family drama, romance and glossy star-led films. A creature feature with mythological undertones pushes the banner into visual event cinema, while a creature comedy makes the genre feel more playful. That is the real signal here: the studio is trying to widen its audience by mixing spectacle with humour instead of relying on one familiar formula.
“It’s an ambitious feature film, and the studio is placing big bets on the plot,” a source told Pinkvilla. High-concept matters because the premise can be communicated quickly, which helps a film travel in a crowded theatrical market. For viewers, the hook is simple enough to grasp from a poster or a promo – and that is often the difference at the box office.
The two films also point to a bigger trend in Hindi cinema: producers are investing in homegrown creature and mythology-adjacent storytelling that can justify a theatrical ticket. Dharma’s entry gives that wave a big-name banner and a proven director in Sandeep Modi.
What to keep an eye on
The first reveal could arrive around Diwali, when one of the two projects is expected to be announced through a video unit on the big screen with Ramayana. Until then, titles, faces and full plot details remain under wraps.
Announcing a project before casting is locked is a familiar trade-off: it can build early buzz, but it also leaves fans waiting on the names they care about. For Bollywood watchers, the practical takeaway is to watch the Diwali window, not just for Ramayana, but for a first glimpse of Dharma’s creature-era slate. If the rollout lands well, it could set the tone for how the studio markets bigger, more visual films over the next two years.
Source: PINKVILLA
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