Shanaya Kapoor’s long-cherished Bollywood dream is finally coming true. Peepingmoon.com has exclusively learned that Sanjay Kapoor and Maheep Kapoor’s 24-year-old daughter is set to make her Hindi film debut with Vikrant Massey’s Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan. 

Shanaya will play a theater actress while Vikrant essays the role of a blind musician in this heart-stopping tale. Together they embark on a transformative journey of love and self-discovery. Based on India's beloved writer Ruskin Bond’s popular short story, The Eyes Have It, the movie is packed with ironic twists and turns and explores themes of compassion, willpower, independence, desire, perception, memory, and confidence, all set against a beautiful musical backdrop. 

Santosh Singh, who has previously directed web shows like Broken But Beautiful, Apharan, and Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond, will helm this romantic saga from the adapted script by Niranjan Iyenger and Mansi Bagla. Iyenger, renowned for writing dialogues for popular movies such as My Name Is Khan, Ra. One, D-Day, and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, was initially supposed to direct it but was later replaced by Singh, who brings more experience in handling such projects. Mansi Bagla and Varun Bagla of Mini Films produce this film, marking their second project with Vikrant after 2022’s Forensic remake. 

The makers were apparently also in talks with Tara Sutaria, Alaya F., and Pratibha Ranta for the female lead but eventually found the perfect match in Shanaya, who's been patiently waiting for her Bollywood launch for the past three years. The actress was initially supposed to be launched by Karan Johar with Shashank Khaitan's urban triangle love story, Bedhadak, and then with Disney+Hotstar’s Student of the Year series, but those plans fell through. While Bedhadak is reportedly shelved, the SOTY show is still in progress and is currently in the writing phase. 

Titled after the iconic Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan song from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's classic musical romance, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan marks Shanaya’s second acting project after Mohanlal’s forthcoming Telugu-Malayalam epic action entertainer, Vrushabha, scheduled for theatrical release early next year. Vikrant’s film, meanwhile, is set to get off the ground later this month in Mussoorie, with plans to shoot it also in Mumbai and Europe. The film is targeting a mid-2025 release. 

Speaking of Vikrant Massey, he is currently shooting for Rajkumar Hirani’s maiden web series for Disney+Hotstar and will soon start promotions for his next release, The Sabarmati Report, set to hit cinemas on November 15. He's also discussing several projects for his 2025 lineup, including a psychological thriller with Rahul Dholakia and an action film with Excel Entertainment, but nothing has concretely materialized so far.