Janhvi Kapoor, Sreeleela, and Siddharth Gupta have officially kicked off the first schedule of their yet-to-be-titled romantic thriller in Nainital, with production now underway as of October 2025. The film, directed by Umesh Bisht and backed by producers Ektaa Kapoor and Guneet Monga Kapoor, centres on two women who develop an obsession with the same man — a premise that promises to probe the darker, more complex layers of romance and relationships.

First Schedule Underway in Nainital

According to a source close to the production, the team has commenced the first shooting schedule in the picturesque Uttarakhand hill station with considerable enthusiasm. “With Siddharth Gupta, Sreeleela and Janhvi Kapoor coming together for this thriller, it is an exciting combination to look forward to. The team is now focused on bringing the story to life, and the shoot has officially begun as planned,” the source said.

Further details about the film’s title, characters, and additional cast members remain under wraps, suggesting the makers are deliberately building intrigue ahead of a formal announcement.

The Director and Producers Behind the Project

The film is helmed by Umesh Bisht, a filmmaker recognised for emotionally layered storytelling. His previous credits include the critically noted ‘Pagglait’, the OTT series ‘The Trial’ Season 2, and ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’, among others. The project is jointly produced by Ektaa Kapoor of Balaji Telefilms fame and Guneet Monga Kapoor, the National Award-winning producer known for championing independent and genre-bending Indian cinema. The combination of Bisht’s restrained directorial style with the producers’ track record of narrative-driven content gives the project considerable pedigree before a single frame is publicly seen.

Janhvi Kapoor Speaks Out Against Deepfake Video

The shoot announcement comes at a charged moment for Janhvi Kapoor, who recently found herself at the centre of a controversy after an AI-generated deepfake video featuring her with sexually explicit content went viral on social media. The clip was reportedly manipulated from footage originating in her film ‘Devara’, in which she starred opposite NTR Jr.

Kapoor responded forcefully, penning a detailed note on her Instagram Stories. She wrote, “The criminal misuse of technology to objectify women and circulate fictionalised content without consent is deeply violating, bordering on sexual assault. Almost every woman in my industry has faced some version of this, and women everywhere are increasingly being subjected to it. Consent, choice and respect for a woman’s body should be among the most basic notions of humanity. Yet somehow, they continue to be treated as complicated. They are not.”

She added, “It is surprising that it still seems too nuanced for some people to understand that even if a woman says yes five days in a row and no on the sixth, that no must be respected.”

This is the latest in a series of deepfake controversies involving prominent women in Indian entertainment, reflecting a growing and largely unregulated crisis around AI-generated content targeting public figures. Kapoor’s remarks have drawn wide support from peers and digital rights advocates.

What to Watch Next

With the first schedule now rolling in Nainital, audiences and trade observers will be watching for a title reveal and official first-look announcement. Given the star power and the production pedigree, the film is likely to generate significant commercial interest once the marketing campaign begins.