Chandan Prabhakar's Journey: From Chandu Chaiwala Character to Comedy Star

The director shared details about Akshaya Khanna's behavior on the set while working on the film 'Ikka', despite the huge success of 'Dhurandar'. He noted that the success of 'Dhurandar' did not lead the actor to become arrogant.

Working on 'Ikka' Amidst the Success of 'Dhurandar'

When 'Dhurandar' was being shot, Akshaya Khanna worked on the film 'Ikka' with Sunny Deol. Siddharth P. Malhotra, the director of 'Ikka', spoke about how Khanna behaved during filming and what pressure the actor experienced while working with the team.

Siddharth explained that preparation for 'Ikka' ran parallel to the shooting of 'Dhurandar', and the latter's release occurred during their production process. He believes all these events coincided. According to the director, Akshaya is a person who neither elevates success to a pedestal nor becomes overly disheartened by failures.

He added: 'The fact that he doesn't give interviews or say much doesn't mean that's who he is. He is a very grounded person. Now I know him as a friend, and he perfectly understands what he wants. He is essentially the easiest actor to work with for directors or cinematographers because what he says means exactly what he means. There are no complications in his life.'

Actor's Reaction to the Success of 'Dhurandar'

Siddharth also talked about Akshaya Khanna's reaction to the success of 'Dhurandar'. The actor knew that it was a temporary phenomenon. After the release of 'Dhurandar', he told the director that he had done his job as an actor, and that such popularity can come and go. He emphasized that he was not blinded by success and advised the director not to create pressure, but simply to focus on making a good film.

Akshaya also mentioned that Aditya (Dhar) is a good friend of his. He has known Aditya since he was a screenwriter trying to make a film at Dharma Productions. Akshaya feels affection for him because he genuinely considers him a good person and wishes for any project Aditya undertakes to be of high quality.

Information About the Film 'Ikka'

As for the film 'Ikka', besides Sunny Deol and Akshaya Khanna, it also features actresses Diya Mirza, Tilottama Shom, Akanksha Ranjan Kapoor, and Sanjida Sheikh. This film will be released on the Netflix platform on July 10.

Following the release of the trailer for the film 'Ita', viewers are showing great interest in watching the movie. In this film, Shraddha Kapoor played the role of Vitabai, who is an icon of Maratha folk culture and is known as the 'Queen of Tamasha'. Her performance in the trailer made a strong impression on the public, but behind this bright work lies significant effort from Shraddha.

Working on the Role and Professionalism

Actor Anant Joshi, who worked with her on the project 'Ita', spoke about the amount of effort Shraddha put into this role. In an interview with Variety India, Anant Joshi highly praised not only Shraddha Kapoor's acting talent but also her professionalism, modesty, and ability to create a comfortable atmosphere on set.

Experience Collaborating with Colleagues

Anant noted that 'Ita' is Shraddha Kapoor's film. Despite the participation of actors like Nana Patekar and Randip Hooda, they are all part of her character's life journey. Regarding his own role, Anant preferred not to go into detail but emphasized that it differs from his previous works. He also shared that the opportunity to work with Shraddha Kapoor in several important scenes was a special experience for him.

Character and Approach to Work

According to Anant, Shraddha is an outstanding actress, but an even more wonderful person. He believes it is necessary to work with artists who do not limit filmmaking solely to acting. Anant stressed that despite her status as a big star and having a huge fan base, Shraddha never feared shooting under difficult circumstances. She put in a lot of effort for her character, undergoing serious transformations. During filming, she had to face many uncomfortable and difficult situations, but Anant never saw her complain.

Creating a Comfortable Environment

Anant mentioned that he initially felt somewhat shy, as he comes from a different field. However, Shraddha always takes care that everyone around her feels free. She did the same for him. She knows perfectly well who she is and what level she is at, understands her boundaries, but never loses her warmth.

The success of all these efforts will become evident after the premiere of 'Ita' in theaters on August 28, 2026.

Director Rajkumar Hirani, who created the film 'Munna Bhai MBBS' in 2004 starring Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi, and later continued the franchise with 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai' in 2006, confirmed that work on the third installment is ongoing.

Franchise History and Expectations

Both previous films were huge successes both at the box office and in the hearts of audiences, and the Munna-Circuit duo became an icon. Despite years of waiting for the third part, which was released two decades after the second film, official statements from Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi have refuted rumors that the project would never be realized. They stated that work on this project is still underway.

Reasons for Project Stoppage

In an interview with HT, Rajkumar Hirani explained that if he only needed to create a story up to the interval, he could make five films about Munna Bhai, but he lacks material to develop the plot beyond that point. He added that he would like to make another film but stressed that he does not want to simply make money, as other directors might do by writing any script. He noted that since they created two outstanding films, the new installment must match that same high standard, and this is where he stops.

Arshad Warsi's Comments

Arshad Warsi agreed with the director's opinion, reporting that he read some scripts for 'Munna Bhai 3' that he really liked. However, these scripts are not yet finalized because Rajkumar Hirani and screenwriter Abhijit Joshi stop at some stage of the work. According to the director, they face pressure related to the value of the franchise and are unwilling to compromise on this matter.