Director Shashank Khaitan has clarified that the recently released Dussehra film Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, is an independent project and not part of the Dulhania franchise.
Speaking to the media, Khaitan addressed rumours suggesting that the film was initially planned as Dulhania 3 with Alia Bhatt in the lead, later replaced by Janhvi Kapoor. He dismissed these reports, stating that the story of Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is unique and was never intended to be linked to the Dulhania series.
On casting, Khaitan explained, “I have a great working relationship with Alia, but when I was writing this story, she was fully booked. I knew her dates would not be available for almost three years, so I decided to cast Janhvi from the very beginning.” He also noted that he and Varun Dhawan continue to discuss potential projects with Alia for the Dulhania franchise.
The Dulhania series, one of Bollywood’s most successful romantic comedy franchises, began with Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) and continued with Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), both featuring Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt in lead roles.