Kanika Dhillon teams up with Taapsee Pannu for action drama Gandhari, redefines mother-child bond

Acclaimed screenwriter-turned-producer Kanika Dhillon is ready to bring a fresh take to the action genre with her upcoming film Gandhari, starring her frequent collaborator, Taapsee Pannu. Known for writing powerful female characters in films like Haseen Dilruba and Manmarziyaan, Kanika is now stepping into a new space with this emotionally charged action drama, which is set to stream on Netflix later this year.

Gandhari is directed by Devashish Makhija and revolves around a mother’s fierce battle to protect her child. Kanika shares that the idea stemmed from exploring the extent of a mother’s strength and emotional drive. “This is about a different sort of fear—or rather, fierceness. How far can a mother go to protect her child? That idea is where Gandhari started,” she says. “I’ve never worked on an action film before, so that made it even more exciting for me.”

Kanika says working with Taapsee again felt natural. The two have previously created strong female-led narratives together, and this project marks a continuation of that bond. “Taapsee was in the right frame of mind to do an action film. As artists, we were ready to explore something so intense and emotional,” she says.

While women-led action films often face skepticism, Kanika believes the key lies in honest storytelling. “Audiences are open to well-told stories. The issue isn’t their acceptance—it's whether we, as creators, are confident in telling them. A well-crafted narrative will always find its audience.”