Karan Johar locks title for his next directorial starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt

According to reports, filmmaker Karan Johar has locked the official title for his next directorial venture after Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016). Starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in lead roles, the light-hearted romantic comedy has been titled Prem Kahani.

“The makers were on the lookout for a quirky yet relatable title and that's when they zeroed in on Prem Kahani. The film is essentially a love story of two completely opposite characters, and the audience will get a glimpse of vintage Karan Johar, whose films at one point were just meant to spread happiness and take the audience in a fairy tale world,” a source in the know informs an entertainment portal.

The source goes on to add that a team at Dharma Productions has already commenced the prep work, as Johar and his writing partners have locked the script and dialogue draft. “The first step is to get the crew vaccinated, and this will be followed by getting on the sets to kick off the first schedule. It is all work in progress with set designing and other aspects being looked after in isolation. The music settings have also begun, as being a romantic saga, there lies ample of scope for good music,” adds the source.

Prem Kahani is set to mark Karan Johar’s return to direction four years after the release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which was a runaway success at the box office. “Though a love story, this one is in a completely different space. While ADHM was intense, this one has ample comedy and fits in the definition of rom-coms that Bollywood, especially, the ones Dharma Productions is known for.”

In August 2018, Johar had announced a magnum-opus titled Takht, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, and Anil Kapoor. The film was set to go on floors in 2019, but it kept facing one setback after the other. In 2020, reports emerged that KJo had decided to put Takht into cold storage and work on a light-hearted romantic comedy.