Kartik Aaryan to play Don Hussain Ustara in Vishal Bhardwaj's next thriller?

Kartik Aaryan and Vishal Bhardwaj to collaborate on new film on Don Hussain Ustara.

Kartik Aaryan has a busy schedule ahead of him with films like Chandu Champion and Freddy about to be released and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, co-starring Vidya Balan and Triptii Dimri, is being filmed. Amid this, it has been reported that he has been cast in Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming film. He will play the role of Don Hussain Ustara.

Hussain Ustara was a fearless don who stood against the underworld's kingpin, Dawood Ibrahim. Ustara's real name was Hussain Ahmed Khan, a smuggler and member of Dawood's gang, who died in 2002 following a cardiac arrest.

Vishal Bhardwaj has tweaked the project which was initially supposed to star Irrfan in the lead. It will be told from Ustara's point of view.

Vishal Bhardwaj has finally found his leading man for his long-delayed project on Don Hussain Ustara which was earlier titled Sapna Didi. After Ranveer Singh and others, he has finally zeroed in on actor Kartik Aaryan to play the lead, according to a recent post from film journalist Rahul Raut on his X account. This will mark the first time that Kartik Aaryan and Vishal Bhardwaj will work on a film together.

The report confirming the news read, “CONFIRMED!! Kartik Aaryan and Vishal Bhardwaj collaborate for a gritty thriller, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala… Kartik to play #HussainUstara, a fearless don who stood against the underworld's kingpin #DawoodIbrahim... It's reportedly the same Sapna Didi project Bhardwaj was once making with late Irrfan Khan and Deepika Padukone... The old script has been tweaked and will now be told from Ustara's perspective...”

CONFIRMED!! #KartikAaryan and #VishalBhardwaj collaborate for a gritty thriller, produced by #SajidNadiadwala...

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Kartik to play #HussainUstara, a fearless don who stood against the underworld's kingpin #DawoodIbrahim... It's reportedly the same #SapnaDidi project Bhardwaj was… pic.twitter.com/TJkkGiZoV4

— Rahul Raut (@Rahulrautwrites) April 1, 2024

The same report also added details about when the film will go on floors. “The yet-untitled film goes on floors in September 2024... The leading lady for the role of #AshrafKhan aka #SapnaDidi is not yet finalized!” read the report. Earlier Deepika Padukone was attached to star in the project.

It was earlier reported that Kartik was in talks with Vishal for a film which will be released in 2025. “Kartik Aaryan is balancing his line-up. He did back-to-back commercial films like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Shehzada and followed it up with an intense love story like Satyaprem Ki Katha. He is now looking to take things a notch higher by getting into conversations with National Award-Winning director, Vishal Bhardwaj. It’s a gritty thriller and the duo are jamming well on the subject,” a source told Bollywood Hungama.

The writer-director is known for his gritty, intense and rural dramas and for his adaptations of Shakespeare's works in the Irrfan-starrer Maqbool (2003), Saif Ali Khan and Ajay Devgn-starrer Omkara (2006) and Shahid Kapoor-starrer Haider (2014). He had two OTT releases last year, in Netflix's Tabu-starrer film Khufiya and SonyLiv's series Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley, actor Wamiqa Gabbi starred in both.

Meanwhile, Kartik Aaryan recently wrapped the first schedule of Anees Bazmee's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. The film also stars Triptii Dimri and Vidya Balan. He will be seen next in Kabir Khan's Chandu Champion. Then there is Aashiqui 3 as well lined up for him.