India’s most popular digital star, Jitendra Kumar, might have been missing in the trailer of TVF’s second season of Pitchers, but he is definitely not on a break. Peepingmoon.com has exclusively learned that Jeetu Bhaiya, as he is fondly called, is presently busy shooting a comedy film for Nikkhil Advani’s banner, Emmay Entertainment. The actor, best known for portraying relatable common man characters in TVF shows such as Permanent Roommates, Kota Factory, and Panchayat, continues his movie stint with this comedy-drama, following his praiseworthy performance in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, Chaman Bahar, and Jaadugar.
The project in question is said to be set in a small Indian town and stars Jitendra Kumar in the role of an athlete. It’s Emmay Entertainment’s 29th production and has been titled "Mat Chuko Pahlwan." Veteran actor Saurabh Shukla is helming this film, marking his return to direction after twelve years of hiatus. The film marks Shukla’s sixth directorial effort, as he has previously directed films like Mudda: The Issue (2003), Chehraa (2005), Raat Gayi Baat Gayi? (2009), Pappu Can’t Dance Saala (2010), and I Am 24 (2010). The new project has already gone on floors and has so far been shot in Bhopal and Narsinghgarh.
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Saurabh Shukla has been long committed to directing a film for Nikkhil Advani’s banner. They were first supposed to collaborate on a mysterious psychological thriller starring Rajkummar Rao and Nimrat Kaur in 2014, but that film never saw the light of day. Shukla was then working on a political satire for Advani in 2018, which also got shelved later. After multiple project cancellations for eight years, Shukla is finally directing a film for Emmay Entertainment, and they plan to release it on a streaming platform sometime in mid-2023. The plot and further casting details of the project have been kept under wraps for now.
This Jitendra Kumar film is the latest addition to Emmay Entertainment’s 2023 lineup, which also includes Rani Mukherji’s true-story-based drama, Mrs. Chatterjee Vs. Norway, and three web series ranging in different genres. The banner has the supernatural thriller Adhura (Amazon Prime Video) and the second seasons of SonyLiv’s Rocket Boys and Amazon Prime Video’s Mumbai Diaries 26/11 set up for the next year premiere. They are also working on a web adaptation of the acclaimed book, Freedom at Midnight, for the SonyLIV platform. Nikkhil is currently on location recce and plans to roll the series out by mid-2023.
