{
  "id": 2533279,
  "title": "Kareena Kapoor, Dhanush to star in Bhansali’s next, says S Mithran: ‘Looking at the dates’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/kareena-kapoor-dhanush-to-star-in-bhansalis-next-says-s-mithran",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-22T08:02:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/kareena-kapoor-dhanush-sanjay-leela-bhansali-s-mithran-looking-at-the-dates-10844530/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Renowned filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is reportedly in advanced discussions to cast Dhanush and Kareena Kapoor in his next Hindi film, a mythological jungle adventure, according to S Mithran. Mithran, who will direct the project, shared these insights during a promotional interview for his upcoming sequel Sardar 2. The collaboration between Bhansali and the two actors has generated significant buzz in both Bollywood and South Indian circles since early August. While both Dhanush and Kareena have not previously worked together or with Bhansali, the film is said to be in the writing stage with pre-production scheduled to commence in November 2026 and principal photography planned for January 2027. The involvement of Kareena Kapoor is particularly intriguing, as she and Bhansali had a major fallout back in the early 2000s when he tested her for Devdas, ultimately casting Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the role. Despite the past tensions, Mithran expressed hope that a positive outcome would emerge from the ongoing talks.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Sanjay Leela Bhansali reportedly casting Dhanush and Kareena Kapoor in upcoming Hindi film.",
    "Myths and jungle adventure set for writing stage in November 2026.",
    "Kareena Kapoor's return to Bhansali after 2000s fallout sparks interest."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}