Varun Dhawan and Shashank Khaitan had kicked off 2020 with the announcement of Mr Lele, their third outing after Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) and Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017). Only weeks after they had released its poster, it was heard that the comedy had been put on the backburner. Even as the decision broke his heart at the time, Khaitan, in hindsight, admits it was wise to have stalled the project.

"As per our original plan, we were supposed to start filming on March 13. The [suspension of shoots] was announced on March 15. So, the stalling of our film was a blessing in disguise; otherwise, we would have ended up spending a lot more on the pre-production," says the director, asserting that the project will be revived at the right time.