After collaborating with the late Irrfan Khan in the highly acclaimed Piku, filmmaker Shoojit Sircar is now teaming up with his son, Babil Khan. Peepingmoon.com has exclusively learned that Shoojit has roped in Babil to headline his next production venture, currently being filmed in the hill stations of Darjeeling. 

The yet-untitled project is said to be a heart-touching love story, featuring Babil alongside a new girl whose identity hasn't been revealed yet. Renowned ad filmmaker Dhiraj Banerjee will direct this film, marking his foray into feature film direction after 13 years in the industry, creating campaigns for brands such as BBC, UNICEF, Child Labour, and Adult Education. The movie commenced filming early this month and aims to wrap up production by May-end for a release later this year. 

Babil and Shoojit are collaborating on a second project despite their first film, The Umesh Chronicles, remaining unreleased for the past two years. A slice-of-life story of growing up in small-town middle-class India, the film stars Babil, Adil Hussain, Vivek Gomber, and Zayn Marie Khan in lead roles, alongside Amitabh Bachchan in an extended cameo role. Babil apparently plays the role of a servant boy in this independent project, directed by Sweden-based filmmaker Pooja Kaul, known for helming award-winning short films like Rasikan Re, Winter Trail, and Sundar Sari. 

Babil Khan made his Bollywood debut with Netflix India’s Qala and has appeared in Excel Entertainment’s Friday Night Plan and Yash Raj Films' maiden web series, The Railway Men. Shoojit Sircar, meanwhile, is preparing his next directorial film with Abhishek Bachchan. The yet-untitled project is said to be an emotional journey with an entertaining narrative about a father and daughter who rekindle their precious bond while they navigate through life’s challenges. Shooting has wrapped up, and the film is set for release in theatres in the second half of this year.