Even as he prepares to premiere his made-in-Calcutta film Lost on Zee5, director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury has plunged into his third Hindi film. The yet-untitled film -— the maiden feature film production of Wiz Films — boasts an enviable cast comprising Pankaj Tripathi, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Jaya Ahsan and Sanjana Sanghi. Described as an investigative drama with a heartwarming story of a dysfunctional family coming together, it will be shot in Mumbai and Calcutta and is slated to release in 2023.

The film will see Roy Chowdhury collaborating with longtime partners Ritesh Shah (writing), Shantanu Moitra (music), Arghyakamal Mitra (editing) and Avik Mukhopadhyay (cinematography). The story has been jointly penned by Roy Chowdhury, Shah (who also wrote Pink for the film-maker) and Viraf Sarkari of Wiz Films. The supporting cast comprises Paresh Pahuja and Varun Buddhadev.

“I am happy to do this film that has a story layered with intrigue which reveals itself over time. How faced with odds, people come together to form a strong unit. I am happy to collaborate with Wiz Films and an eclectic cast like Pankaj Tripathi, Sanjana Sanghi Parvathy Thiruvothu, Jaya Ahsan and Paresh Pahuja,” says Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, better known as Tony.

For the chameleonic actor Pankaj Tripathi, there were three reasons to sign on this film. “First, I’ve read a lot of scripts lately, and this one was one of the most amazing ones. Secondly, I’ve always wanted to work with Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury who is a very fine director and thirdly, Wiz Films is a fantastic production company and I hold the partners in the highest regard.”

Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury

Tripathi plays father to Sanjana Sanghi’s character in the film. “It was that rare moment every artiste craves for, to hear a story that you resonate and connect with so deeply and instantly, and one that reminds you why you became an actor in the first place”, says Sanjana, who debuted as a leading lady with Dil Bechara two years ago.

“I feel it’s a massive opportunity for me to dismantle and unlearn because I’ll be working with Tony sir and Pankaj sir. That’s always an amazing and scary process so you need people you can do a sort of trust fall while you create a character so perceptive. That’s the best part for me about joining the team!” says Parvathy, a prolific actor in the Malayalam film industry, whose last Hindi film was Qarib Qarib Singlle with the late Irrfan Khan.

Tollywood actress Jaya Ahsan will be making her Bolly debut with this film. “My character is an integral part of the film. When this offer came to me from Wiz Films I was thrilled and said ‘yes’ immediately because Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury is the director, and I have Pankaj Tripathi as one of my co-actors. I always wanted to work with Aniruddha and Pankaj and getting them together, and that too in my first Hindi film doubles the delight,” says Jaya. The film went on the floors on Tuesday.