'Rocket Boys' fame Abhay Pannu to direct YRF's horror film?
What's the story
Yash Raj Films (YRF), one of India's leading production houses, has reportedly signed filmmaker Abhay Pannu to direct a horror film. This project will be the studio's first venture into the horror genre in over 50 years. Pannu is best known for his critically acclaimed work on Rocket Boys and has also penned the script for this upcoming film. He has also been an associate director on Mumbai Diaries and Marjaavaan.
Strategic expansion
Akshaye Widhani played a key role in this decision
A source shared with Bollywood Hungama, "Yash Raj Films have made films all across the genres except for horror. Come 2027, and the banner will step into the horror space with a feature film directed by Abhay Pannu." The source added that YRF CEO Akshaye Widhani played a key role in this decision. He encouraged Aditya Chopra to explore new territories like horror in cinema.
Filmmaking strategy
YRF's new wave of collaborations with emerging filmmakers
Following the success of Saiyaara, YRF has been actively collaborating with a new generation of filmmakers such as Mohit Suri, Sameer Saxena (Kaala Paani), and Pannu. This initiative aims to broaden the studio's storytelling canvas across various genres and formats. The source concludes, "It's the first time in history that Aditya Chopra has decentralized the film production game by bestowing the responsibility of content creation to Akshaye Widhani." Meanwhile, an official announcement about the horror film is awaited.