Kumail Nanjiani has been cast to star in A Guy Walks Into a Bar, a dark comedy set to be directed Gary Fleder, who will be directing his first feature since 2013's Homefront.
Joining Nanjiani on the cast is Sam Rockwell.
Written by Scott Rosenberg, the project has obtained an Interim Agreement from SAG-AFTRA and will commence filming by the end of the year. It will be shot in New Jersey.
A publication reports that Nanjiani will play a mild-mannered new father who has a fateful encounter with a mysterious stranger (Rockwell). The two become friends, but Nanjiani soon comes to suspect that Rockwell is harbouring a deadly secret.
Fleder, Rosenberg, and Rockwell will produce A Guy Walks Into a Bar with Mark Fasano of Nickel City Pictures, Nadine de Barros of Fortitude International, and Jina Panebianco of Caliwood Pictures.
Nanjiani will executive produce with Erica Steinberg and Nickel City’s Matthew Goldberg, Caliwood’s R. Wesley Sierk, III, John D. Straley, and Joseph Panebianco.
Nanjiani, who shot to fame with HBO's Silicon Valley and then went on to star in The Big Sick, has been one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood since The Big Sick, with recent roles in Welcome to Chippendales and upcoming parts in the next installments in the Insidious and Ghostbusters franchises.
Critics praise Gulzar’s opening narration as the series’ emotional anchor.
Several reviewers find the animation ambitious but uneven.
Many reviews note secondary voice performances lack range compared with the narration.
Reviewers differ on pacing and storytelling focus: some call it tight, others say it feels stitched.
Viewers and critics recommend watching for the scale and music, not for flawless character work.
This Kurukshetra review is a round-up of what critics and early viewers are saying about Netflix’s new animated retelling, and one name keeps coming up: Gulzar. Across reviews, the opening narration is almost universally singled out as the strongest element, while opinions split sharply on animation quality, voice casting and whether the series’ narrow battlefield focus pays off.
Netflix’s animated Kurukshetra draws praise for its ambition but criticism for uneven voice performances Instagram/netflix_in
What do reviewers say about Kurukshetra and Gulzar’s role?
Multiple reviews call Gulzar’s baritone the series’ single greatest asset. Critics write that his lines give scenes emotional gravity. They said the narration "grounds" the show and often rescues moments that might otherwise feel flat. A few outlets even suggested his voice elevates sequences beyond the animation’s limits.
Do critics think Kurukshetra gets the animation right?
The answer is mixed. Several reviewers applaud the scale, chariot set pieces, wide battle frames and the sheer ambition. Others point out inconsistencies, like faces that do not always register emotion and occasional stiffness in character movement. Many reviews used the same phrasing: “impressive in scope, uneven in detail.”
How do reviewers view the voice cast beyond Gulzar?
This is where opinions cluster on the negative side. A number of critics say secondary voiceovers feel one-note and do not match the gravitas Gulzar brings. A handful of reviews praised specific performances, but the dominant note was: solid, not stellar.
Pacing and focus. Some reviewers appreciated the choice to limit the story to battlefield days and called it focused and brisk. Others felt certain backstories were teased, leaving them wanting more, and described the structure as stitched together. So, pick your critic: some loved the discipline, others wanted a fuller sweep.
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