Pankaj Tripathi and Aditi Rao Hydari are finally sharing a frame, but not in a movie hall. Their first film together, Parivarik ManuRanjan, is skipping a theatrical run and heading directly to Sony LIV as a Sony LIV original film.
The makers have dropped a teaser that introduces Manu and Ranjan as a “perfectly mismatched duo” and pitches the project as a “shuddh paarivarik romance-comedy”—a clean, family-friendly romantic comedy built around family relationships rather than just the lead pair. For now, Sony LIV has not revealed a streaming date.
What the teaser tells us
The title itself carries the plot. Manu and Ranjan’s love story becomes “manuranjan”—entertainment—for everyone around them. The promotional line from the team translates roughly as: the love story of Manu and Ranjan becomes a source of enjoyment for all. It is a living-room pitch, not a spectacle-driven one, and the teaser leans into familiar family moments.
A pairing built on contrast
The casting is the hook. Tripathi brings his trademark everyman comic timing, while Hydari brings a more polished, classical energy. That contrast is what the makers are calling a “perfectly mismatched duo”, and it is the engine for situational comedy in a film that wants to be watched with family.
When the project was announced in 2025, Hydari said, “When I read the script, I smiled throughout.” Tripathi added, “There was something so charmingly simple and yet irresistibly funny about the script that I couldn’t say no.” The two actors had not worked together before, and the film is being positioned as a first-time collaboration with enough warmth to carry the premise.
Who is making it
- Director: Varun V. Sharma
- Story and screenplay: Brijendra Kala, Ali Abbas Zafar and Varun V. Sharma
- Dialogues: Brijendra Kala
- Producers: Vinod Bhanushali, Kamlesh Bhanushali, Himanshu Kishan Mehta and Alicia Zafar
- Studios: Bhanushali Studios Limited and AAZ Films
Ali Abbas Zafar is attached as creative producer, which adds a layer of mainstream polish to a small-scale family comedy.
Why the direct-to-digital move matters
A star-led romantic comedy going straight to streaming is no longer an exception. The bigger shift here is who the film is for: a family audience that can watch together at home, without the friction of a cinema trip. That makes the Sony LIV window important, but the platform has not set a date, so the teaser and the pairing stay at the centre of the conversation.
For fans of both actors, the film is a chance to see a fresh on-screen combination in a genre that has been scarce in recent months. For the makers, it is a test of whether a family-first rom-com can draw attention on streaming without the support of a box-office weekend.
Meanwhile, Tripathi has another first lined up. He will host the IIFA Digital Awards at the 27th edition of the IIFA Weekend & Awards, scheduled for January 22 and 23, 2027 at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Source: Hindustan Times
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