Manmarziyan: Aanand L Rai signs Sanya Malhotra as leading lady, Anurag Kashyap as director?

Aanand L Rai’s romantic drama Manmarziyan seems to be shaping up finally, after facing multiple changes in the cast and crew.

Rai, who is co-producing the film along with Eros Entertainment, has reportedly roped in Anurag Kashyap to direct the film, who seems to have cast Dangal actress Sanya Malhotra as the leading lady.

Malhotra, who made her debut as one of Aamir Khan’s daughters in Nitesh Tiwari’s sports biopic Dangal last year, had not signed a film whereas Fatima Sana Shaikh, who played the other daughter, is currently shooting for Vijay Krishna Acharya’s period heist film Thugs of Hindostan in Malta.

Now, Pinkvilla reports that Kashyap has cast Malhotra in the role opposite newcomer Jassie Gill. Bollywood Hungama reports that the film revolves around a love triangle and will be extensively shot across north India. It will go on floors this December.

Initially, Rai had roped in Sameer Sharma to direct the film that originally starred the Dum Laga Ke Haisha pair Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar , along with Vicky Kaushal. They even shot the first schedule in Amritsar and Shimla but Rai did not approve of the first rushes.

He subsequently signed Ashwini Iyer Tiwari next but she walked out of the film owing to creative differences. Later, she signed Khurrana and Pednekar for another love triangle film, Bareilly Ki Barfi, that is slated to release on 18 August. Rai also announced another romantic comedy with the pair titled Shubh Mangal Savdhan which is slated to release on 1 September.

Now, Manmarziyan seems to be happening too, though with a new star cast and director. Rai has already started shooting for his next directorial, an untitled film starring Shah Rukh Khan (as a dwarf), Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif.