Actor Saif Ali Khan will star in Hansal Mehta’s upcoming crime drama Black River, an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Nilanjana Ray, the author confirmed on Monday.
“It be official! Thrilled (and thank you, Saif and @mehtahansal, for your faith in Black River),” Ray wrote on X, sharing a post about the collaboration.
According to media reports, the project is in its early stages, with Mehta and his team working on the script. Production is expected to begin by mid-2026.
Published in 2022, Black River is a murder mystery that explores themes of love, friendship and grief. The novel is set in a fictional village, Teetarpur, near Delhi and centres on the murder of an eight-year-old girl named Munia.
The book also focuses on vigilante justice, religious discrimination, migrant struggles, political manipulation, corruption, misogyny, class barriers, and ecological destruction.
On the work front, Saif Ali Khan is currently working on the fourth instalment of the action drama film Race. Also starring Sidharth Malhotra, the film is at its scripting stage.
The actor, who was recently seen in the Telugu action-fantasy film Devara: Part 1, is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins. Also starring Jaideep Ahlawat, the film is set to premiere on Netflix this year.
Hansal Mehta is set to begin filming a Netflix business drama featuring Anil Kapoor and Vijay Varma. He is also developing a multi-season biopic on Mahatma Gandhi. Furthermore, Mehta is serving as the showrunner for the third season of Sony LIV’s Scam series.
