Alia Bhatt’s ‘Darlings,’ Produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, Boarded by Netflix

Netflix has boarded “Darlings,” headlined by top Bollywood star Alia Bhatt and directed by feature debutant Jasmeet K. Reen.

Written by Reen, Parveez Sheikh (“Queen”) and Vijay Maurya (Disney+ Hotstar series “The Great Indian Murder”), “Darlings” is billed as a dark comedy which explores the lives of a mother-daughter duo trying to find their place in Mumbai, seeking courage and love in exceptional circumstances while fighting against all odds.

The film is produced by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and Bhatt’s Eternal Sunshine Productions. Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma produce for Red Chillies, with Bhatt producing for Eternal Sunshine.

The cast also includes Shefali Shah (Amazon Prime Video film “Jalsa”), Vijay Varma (BBC series “A Suitable Boy”) and Roshan Mathew (Netflix film “Choked”). Vishal Bhardwaj is the composer on the project with Gulzar providing the lyrics.

Reen previously directed the short “The Right Note.”

Reen said, “I 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.”

Bhatt said: “ ‘Darlings’ holds a very special place in my heart, it’s my first film as producer that too with Red Chillies. We are very proud and happy how the film has shaped up and we hope it will entertain and engage audiences world over.”

Gaurav Verma, producer and COO, Red Chillies Entertainment, said: “A script nurtured inhouse, and later produced with the incredible Alia, and supported by a stellar cast in Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma and Roshan Mathew, helmed by Jasmeet, who has lot of promise, ‘Darlings’ is very special to all of us.”

Netflix has a long term content deal with Red Chillies.

Pratiksha Rao, director, films and licensing, Netflix India said, “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. ‘Darlings,’ by debut director Jasmeet K. Reen, is a must watch – a perfect storm of a riveting plot, fresh storytelling brought to life by powerful performances.”

Bhatt’s last release, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Gangubai Kathiawadi,” debuted at Berlin and was a box office hit in India. The film holds the top spot among the top 10 global non English-language films on Netflix.

Watch the “Darlings” announcement video here:

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