Ayan Mukerji has broken up with Dharma Productions? Find out
What's the story
Rumor has it not all is well between Brahmastra makers Karan Johar and Ayan Mukerji. The Brahmastra director recently announced the sequel and threequel of the franchise. But the announcement came sans the mention of Johar and his production house on the poster image.
This led to speculations that Johar and Mukerji might have had a fallout. Here's everything to know about it.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Mukerji is only three films old in the Hindi film industry. He marked his directorial debut with Ranbir Kapoor and Konkana Sen Sharma starrer Wake Up Sid in 2009 followed by Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani in 2013.
He returned as a director with Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, which was released in 2022. All three films of Mukerji's career have been backed by Johar.
Details
Mukerji contemplating working with other banners?
Since Mukerji did not tag or mention Johar or his Dharma Productions in the announcement post, gossip mills have been abuzz that the young director is probably looking out for a new banner for his ambitious science-fiction mythological franchise.
However, these continue to remain mere rumors as neither Mukerji nor Johar has put out an official word on this.
Reason
Reports claim this is the reason why Johar's upset
A Bollywood Hungama report, quoting a source, said Mukerji announced the release dates of the upcoming parts without keeping Johar in the loop, and this triggered the rumored fallout between the two.
It also pointed out that this came after Johar was "more than gracious" to allow Mukerji to take his time to complete the first film and go overboard with its budget.
The IP issues
Not Johar, Mukerji holds the IP rights of 'Brahmastra'
The report further claimed that Mukerji, who holds the intellectual property (IP) rights of the movie, is already watching out for new makers to back his ambitious project. This is another point that reportedly added to their rumored soreness.
The director will have to return the investments made by Johar if he goes out to another banner, per the source.
About the franchise
Everything about 'Brahmastra'
The first part featured Kapoor, his actor-wife Alia Bhatt, and Amitabh Bachchan in the lead. While Shah Rukh Khan played a cameo, Nagarjuna and Dimple Kapadia were seen in brief, important roles.
The sequel, titled Brahmastra Part Two: Dev, is rumored to star Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh as Amrita and Dev, respectively. Part 2 and 3 will be released in 2026 and 2027.