Producer Pranjal Khandhdiya confirms women biker film Dhak Dhak sequel is underway

Dhak Dhak

, a film on the epic bike expedition of four women from Delhi to Leh, is currently making noise on an OTT platform. And now, producer

Pranjal Khandhdiya

has informed that the work has already started on the film's sequel. Featuring

Ratna Pathak

Shah,

Dia Mirza

,

Fatima Sana Shaikh

, and

Sanjana Sanghi

, the dynamic girl gang might be embarking on an unforgettable trip to Barcelona in the upcoming installment.

“A story like Dhak Dhak is a rarity. The film has so many challenges and hence nobody has been able to make such a film till now. But, now that we have done it successfully, it only makes sense to take the next challenge. Every character of Dhak Dhak deserves a spin-off. Also, we kept the hook of the sky wanting to go to Barcelona open in the first part. We have already started working on ideating for the sequel. There are a couple of thoughts that Tarun (director

Tarun Dudeja

) and I have discussed. We surely are taking the road trip universe beyond,”

Khandhdiya

said.
The producer also hinted that the sequel could maintain the original four female characters or possibly introduce male characters into the mix. “But then, it’s a matter of how we take the story forward. However, the audience will definitely get to be part of this journey. Dhak Dhak will not stop at Khardung La. The journey continues,” he added.
Khandhdiya isn’t fond of the term 'women-centric' films, and he's hesitant to label Dhak Dhak as one. For him, a film's essence lies in a compelling story that entertains. He strongly believes in the potency of good writing to drive a film's success.

“The audiences today are matured and they can sense the story way ahead. Hence, any story that excites the audience with a new concept becomes attractive. With this belief, we choose our subjects wisely. We aren’t averse to subjects that have male characters. In fact, our selection of stories is gender neutral. It so happens that in today's world the ladies are far more experimental and have multifold layers and hence those characters become appealing. All four characters of Dhak Dhak are real,” he said.

Putting together a film with an ensemble cast like in Dhak Dhak is quite a challenge, the producer pointed out, “This is one of the biggest reasons why Bollywood doesn’t see many ensembles. In our case, it wasn’t just a regular ensemble, but it was a complex casting of four women of different age brackets, social strata and upbringing. We were clear about not compromising on the age as the character of Mahi (Ratna Pathak Shah) is 65-years-old. We wanted to cast a genuine senior actor. We knew no actor would be ready to take the risk. But there was

Ratna

ji who showed confidence and we just got lucky to have her. Other three casting was so bang on that when we approached them, as they were our first choice and they readily said yes.” He also shared that the greater challenge lies in releasing a film rather than the filmmaking process itself.

Meanwhile, Khandhdiya is also thrilled to team up with actress

Taapsee Pannu

in production. He highlights their collaborative efforts, using their skills, knowledge, and networks to create meaningful content. “Friends-turned-business partners have the comfort of calling out the other person and figuring the best,” he said.