The trailer of Vijay Varma and Fatima Sana Shaikh’s upcoming romantic period drama Gustaakh Ishq promises to take us to an era when the alleys of old Delhi echoed with poetry and tales of romance.
Dropped Monday, the trailer offers a glimpse of Naseeruddin Shah as an eminent Urdu poet.
The story centres around Nawabuddin (played by Vijay Varma), who arrives at the residence of Ajiz (Naseeruddin Shah), an Urdu poet, to master the art of writing shayari. Ajiz introduces his daughter (played by Fatima Sana Shaikh) to Nawabuddin, and soon, romance takes centre stage.
The three often bond over verses and cups of tea on winter mornings, until unforeseen circumstances and misunderstandings create a rift between Vijay and Fatima’s characters.
“Ek kahani, jo reh jayegi dil mein nishaani ki tarah. Purani Dilli ki galiyon mein likhi gayi yeh pehle se ishq ki dastaan. Gustaakh Ishq Trailer out now. Releasing in cinemas on 28th November, 2025,” Manish Malhotra’s home banner Stage 5 Production wrote on Instagram alongside the trailer.
Gustaakh Ishq is the third project by Manish Malhotra’s Stage5 Production, founded in 2023. The production banner has backed two other films — Saali Mohabbat and Bun Tikki — which are yet to be released.
Shooting for Gustaakh Ishq, penned and directed by Vibhu Puri Dehalvi, concluded in April last year. The music of the film has been composed by Vishal Bhardwaj, with lyrics penned by Gulzar.
The film, which is set to release on 28 November, also stars Sharib Hashmi in a pivotal role.
In September 2023, Malhotra announced the launch of his own production banner, Stage5 Production. He described it as “a company that will nurture different artistic voices from all over and take pride in the diversity of stories, collaborating with directors, writers, and artists who are not only talented but also have a unique new vision.”