Content overlap has long been a phenomenon in the Hindi film industry, where two projects occasionally explore similar subjects, differentiated only by their narrative execution. A recent example is the SonyLIV series ‘The Waking of a Nation,’ and Akshay Kumar's upcoming ‘Kesari Chapter 2’. Both explore the tensions and catalysts leading to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, viewed through the eyes of Indian lawyer and statesman C. Shankaran Nair.

Likewise, Kartik Aaryan and Anurag Basu’s upcoming film bears an uncanny resemblance to Mohit Suri’s romantic drama starring Ahaan Pandey. Both chronicle the story of a musician navigating the journey of heartbreak and eventual stardom. While these projects are already in production, a quieter but equally intriguing competition seems to be unfolding behind the scenes in Bollywood. PeepingMoon.com has exclusively learned that Hrithik Roshan, Kartik Aaryan and Ranveer Singh are independently developing zombie action films, each vying to create what could potentially be Bollywood’s first major entry into this genre.

Hrithik, as we exclusively revealed in November 2024, acquired the adaptation rights to Will Smith’s 2007 Hollywood movie ‘I Am Legend’ for a staggering 12 crores. He is actively developing it under his own banner. Sources suggest that ‘Kill’ director Nikhil Bhat is in talks to direct it. But it's unknown where the conversation has reached because Nikhil is committed to many projects. The fate of this film also depends on ‘Krrish 4,’ Hrithik’s long-in-the-making fourth installment of the superhero franchise. If ‘Krrish 4’ starts production this year, the ‘I Am Legend’ adaptation could likely be sidelined, sources say. As of now, neither project has a confirmed production timeline.

Ranveer, too, is exploring the post-apocalyptic genre. He is developing a zombie action film through his own production company, which he is expected to officially launch later this year. The actor is said to be assembling a slate of diverse projects, including a mythological action drama that’s being supervised by ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ director Aditya Dhar. Furthermore, Kartik has also set his sights on the zombie genre and has approached T-Series head Bhushan Kumar to scout and develop a large-scale zombie film that can be marketed as a groundbreaking, genre-defining project.

However, all these developments are in the nascent stage, with only Hrithik’s film having made tangible progress while the other two are still in ideation. A trade source described the situation as a “silent war” among these Bollywood heavyweights, noting that it will be fascinating to see who delivers Bollywood’s first proper zombie action film. Adding a layer of complexity, all three actors are represented by the same talent agency, Collective Artists Network. “It’s not just a creative war between these superstars but also a battle between their management teams, each striving to outpace the other for their star clients. It’s possible that the shared representative agency may have fueled this competitive race. Once word got out about a superstar working on a zombie film, others followed suit, leading to this unexpected rivalry,” a trade source revealed.

“Zombie films are difficult to make, and not everyone can pull them off. It requires a dedicated and skilled team of writers, directors, and actors, as well as a producer willing to shoulder the financial risks of a high-budget endeavor. Let’s see who eventually wins this race. And whether any of these films even make it to the screen,” the source concluded.

For now, all three actors remain occupied. Hrithik is filming an intense dance-off sequence with Jr. NTR for Yash Raj Films’ highly anticipated ‘War 2.’ Ranveer is deep into production for Aditya Dhar’s espionage thriller ‘Dhurandhar.’ And Kartik is busy with Basu’s romantic drama alongside South Indian sensation Sreeleela. Following that, he is expected to commence ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh 2’ with Mudassar Aziz. He is also discussing the ‘Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety’ sequel with Luv Ranjan, but that project is still in the scripting stage.