Anil Kapoor and Vijay Varma to star in Hansal Mehta's business drama, shoot to begin in Sri Lanka

Vijay Varma and Anil Kapoor

What's Hansal Mehta's next after Gandhi, said to be his most ambitious work to date? Murmurs over the past few months suggested that in a departure from his penchant for real-life stories, the filmmaker was set to explore a business drama (New show on the cards, Feb 21). Now, mid-day has learnt that Mehta is ready to take the web series on floors in Sri Lanka this month. The Netflix offering, starring Anil Kapoor and Vijay Varma, tells the story of power, money, and morals through two business rivals whose ugly clash sends shockwaves in the financial world.

Raima Sen and Neha Dhupia also feature in the Netflix series, for which Hansal Mehta has roped in an eclectic ensemble cast

Last month, Mehta apparently headed to Sri Lanka for a recce for the big-budget drama that is produced by Vikram Malhotra. A source reveals, "Hansal and Vikram are keeping everything under wraps. With Anil and Vijay playing high-flying business magnates, the series will be shot across Mumbai, Sri Lanka, Serbia, and Georgia. The series - written by Niren Bhatt, Ankur Pathak, and Nikhil Nair - is an incisive look at the cut-throat nature of today's financial world, where money, manipulation, and greed are part of the game. Anil and Vijay's characters, though ruthless in their individual pursuit of power and wealth, are shown to have contrasting ideologies and work ethics. That sets the stage for a showdown, and the story follows how they take on each other. If things go as planned, it will be shot in a straight schedule from June to September."

Hansal Mehta and Vikram Malhotra

Joining the male leads in the drama are Neha Dhupia and Raima Sen. "Hansal is bringing together an eclectic ensemble cast. Neha and Raima portray strong women who wield power in their own way and exert influence in the big boys' club," adds the source.

From Shahid (2012) to Aligarh (2015), from Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020) to Scoop (2023), Mehta has created an enviable filmography based on true stories. However, the source says that this time, the creator-director has built a fictional world, one set in a field rarely seen on Indian screens. "While the West has had sterling business dramas, Indian OTT entertainment hasn't quite explored the genre. Hansal and Vikram wanted to tap into the genre by weaving a tale of ambition and betrayal."

mid-day reached out to Malhotra and Mehta. Both remained unavailable for comment.