Kareena, Dhanush set to feature in Bhansali's mythological film? Director responds

Reports of actors Kareena Kapoor Khan and Dhanush teaming up for a film backed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali have gathered momentum following a fresh update from director PS Mithran.Speaking to Cinema Vikatan while promoting Sardar 2, Mithran said, “Talks are underway, we are looking at the dates for confirmation. Hopefully, something good will come out of it.”According to reports, the proposed film is a large-scale mythological jungle adventure. A Bollywood Hungama report said the project is currently in the writing stage and that the script has gone through multiple rewrites before being finalised.The same report said pre-production is expected to begin in November 2026, with principal photography planned for January 2027. If the project moves ahead, it will mark Mithran’s directorial debut in Hindi cinema. The film will also mark the first on-screen pairing of Dhanush and Kareena Kapoor Khan. It would further be Kareena’s first collaboration with Sanjay Leela Bhansali after their fallout in the early 2000s.At the time, Bhansali had approached Kareena for Devdas and she had also done a screen test for the film. However, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was eventually cast as Paro. In a 2002 interview with Filmfare, Kareena had said, “What he did to me was wrong. He screen-tested me for Devdas (2002), gave me a signing amount, then took someone else. That was wrong, it hurt especially because I was at the start of my career.”Bhansali, however, had said that Kareena had approached him for the role and that the screen test was never a confirmation of casting. Speaking to Filmfare in July 2002, he recalled Kareena coming to his house with designer Neeta Lulla.Bhansali, said that he did the screen test, but it was not a mark of certainty that Kareena would be cast in the film.He added, “After going through the photographs, I told Kareena that I felt Aishwarya Rai was fabulous and perfect for Paro; she has the aristocratic looks I required. Kareena didn’t say a word then but some days later I found her lashing out at me in print. She accused me of backing out after having given her the signing amount and contract. Believe me, this is not true.”Kareena will next be seen in Daayra, directed by Meghna Gulzar and also starring Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film is set for a theatrical release on September 18, 2026.- EndsPublished By: Anurag BohraPublished On: Aug 22, 2026 19:26 IST