Jasmeet K. Reen’s Dark Comedy ‘Darlings’ With Alia Bhatt and Shefali Shah is Headed to Netflix
- Exploring the lives of a mother and daughter trying to find their place in Mumbai, the film is co-produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and Bhatt’s Eternal Sunshine Productions.
Alia Bhatt’s “Darlings,” directed by Jasmeet K. Reen, is headed to Netflix. Written by Reen, Parveez Sheikh, and Vijay Maurya, the film is produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and Bhatt’s Eternal Sunshine Productions.
It is billed as “a dark comedy which explores the lives of a mother and daughter trying to find their place in Mumbai, seeking courage and love in exceptional circumstances while fighting against all odds,” as reported by Variety. The cast also includes Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma and Roshan Mathew. Music for the film is composed by Vishal Bhardwaj with lyrics by Gulzar.
Bhatt told Variety that “‘Darlings’ holds a very special place in my heart,” her first film as a producer. “We are very proud and happy how the film has shaped up and we hope it will entertain and engage audiences the world over.”
Reen, who previously directed the short “The Right Note,” told the entertainment portal that she “couldn’t have asked for a better feature film debut, working with a pool of versatile and talented actors has been an absolute pleasure. I am delighted that Red Chillies and Eternal Sunshine are taking the film across the globe with Netflix.”
According to a 2016 Variety report, Netflix has a long-term content deal with Red Chillies. “With ‘Darlings,’ we continue our long-standing partnership with Red Chillies Entertainment and are excited to be the home for Alia Bhatt’s first production,” said Pratiksha Rao, director, films and licensing at Netflix India to Variety. She described “Darlings” as “a must-watch – a perfect storm of a riveting plot, fresh storytelling brought to life by powerful performances.”
Bhatt is currently in the U.S., shooting for her English-language debut in Netflix’s international spy thriller “Heart of Stone.” She joins Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan in the Netflix and Skydance film directed by Tom Harper from a script by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder.
Bhatt was most recently seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Gangubai Kathiawadi,” which had the third-biggest opening last weekend as well as the biggest non-holiday opening for a Bollywood film since the start of the pandemic. The film had its world premiere at the 72nd edition of the Berlin International Film Festival, where an audience of nearly 800 gave it a standing ovation. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.
This year, Bhatt made her Tamil film debut with S.S. Rajamouli’s period drama “RRR,” starring Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn and Jr. NTR. She will be seen in Ayan Mukherji’s “Brahmastra,” opposite her beau Ranbir Kapoor. The film, seven years in the making, is finally scheduled to release this fall.
She will be teaming up again with her “Gully Boy” co-star Ranveer Singh in “‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,” directed by Karan Johar. The film also stars Preity Zinta, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi. She is also part of an ensemble cast in “Takht,” also directed by KJo, with Vicky Kaushal, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Anil Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Bhumi Pednekar. She is also roped in with Priyanka Chopra, and Katrina Kaif for “Jee Le Zaara,” the all-female road trip film directed by Farhan Akhtar.