Gulabo Sitabo turns 6: Shoojit Sircar marks Bachchan-Khurrana reunion
Synopsis
Six years after 'Gulabo Sitabo' made headlines by skipping theatres entirely for a pandemic-era OTT debut, Shoojit Sircar marked the anniversary with a clip of Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana at their bickering best — a reminder that the film's real legacy may be the streaming precedent it helped set for Bollywood.
Key Takeaways
Shoojit Sircar marked 6 years of 'Gulabo Sitabo' on 12 June 2025 with an Instagram post.
The film starred Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana together for the first time.
It premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 12 June 2020 , bypassing theatres due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Screenplay was written by Juhi Chaturvedi ; produced under Rising Sun Films and Kino Works .
Ayushmann Khurrana's recent release 'Pati Patni Aur Woh Do' hit cinemas on 15 May 2025 .
Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar on 12 June 2025 marked six years of his acclaimed comedy-drama 'Gulabo Sitabo', the film that brought together Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana on screen for the first time. The Lucknow-set film, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 12 June 2020, bypassed a theatrical release due to the COVID-19 pandemic and went on to become one of the most-discussed OTT debuts of that year.
How Sircar Marked the Anniversary
To commemorate the milestone, Sircar shared a memorable clip from the film on his Instagram handle. The scene captures the central tension of the story — Bachchan and Khurrana locking horns over the parking of a two-wheeler inside the house where Khurrana's character is a tenant. Sircar captioned the post: 'Celebrating 6 years of Gulabo-Sitabo. #gulabositabo @primevideo.'
About the Film
Amitabh Bachchan played Chunnan 'Mirza' Nawab, a scheming landlord, while Ayushmann Khurrana played his equally crafty tenant Baankey Rastogi. The screenplay was written by Juhi Chaturvedi, a frequent collaborator of Sircar's. The supporting cast included Vijay Raaz, Farrukh Jaffar, Brijendra Kala, Srishti Shrivastava, Abhinav Pundir, and several others.
The film was produced by Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar under the banners of Rising Sun Films and Kino Works. Cinematography was handled by Avik Mukhopadhyay, with Chandrashekhar Prajapati as editor.
A Pandemic-Era Milestone
With cinema halls shut across India in mid-2020, 'Gulabo Sitabo' became one of the first major Bollywood productions to opt for a direct OTT premiere — a decision that sparked industry-wide debate about theatrical windows at the time. Notably, it was among a handful of films that helped normalise the streaming-first model for Hindi cinema during that period.
What Khurrana Has Been Up To
Since the film's release, Ayushmann Khurrana has continued to headline diverse projects. His most recent theatrical release is the romantic entertainer 'Pati Patni Aur Woh Do', co-starring Rakul Preet Singh, Sara Ali Khan, and Wamiqa Gabbi. Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Renu Ravi Chopra, and Krishan Kumar under T-Series and B R Studios, the film released in cinemas on 15 May 2025. As 'Gulabo Sitabo' enters its seventh year on streaming, its legacy as a pandemic-era creative pivot remains firmly intact.
Point of View
But its more durable impact was structural — it was among the first big-ticket Hindi films to normalise a direct OTT release, a decision that reshaped how studios and streamers negotiate theatrical windows to this day. Sircar's anniversary post is a low-key reminder of that inflection point. The film also proved that Amitabh Bachchan, in prosthetic-heavy character work, could still anchor an ensemble without dominating it — a creative risk that paid off commercially and critically.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 'Gulabo Sitabo' and who stars in it?
'Gulabo Sitabo' is a 2020 Hindi comedy-drama directed by Shoojit Sircar, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead roles. Set in Lucknow, it follows two scheming men — a landlord and his tenant — each trying to outwit the other.
Why did 'Gulabo Sitabo' release on OTT instead of in theatres?
The film skipped a theatrical release because cinema halls across India were shut during the COVID-19 pandemic. It premiered directly on Amazon Prime Video on 12 June 2020, making it one of the first major Bollywood productions to opt for a streaming debut.
Who wrote the screenplay for 'Gulabo Sitabo'?
The screenplay was written by Juhi Chaturvedi, who has been a long-time creative collaborator of director Shoojit Sircar on films including 'Vicky Donor' and 'Piku'.
How did Shoojit Sircar celebrate the 6th anniversary of 'Gulabo Sitabo'?
Sircar shared a clip from the film on Instagram featuring the iconic parking-dispute scene between Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, captioning it: 'Celebrating 6 years of Gulabo-Sitabo.'
What has Ayushmann Khurrana released recently?
Ayushmann Khurrana's latest theatrical release is 'Pati Patni Aur Woh Do', co-starring Rakul Preet Singh, Sara Ali Khan, and Wamiqa Gabbi. The film, produced by Bhushan Kumar and others under T-Series and B R Studios, released on 15 May 2025.
