Anil Kapoor Or Bobby Deol As Villain In Kartik Aaryan's Naagzilla? What We Know

News18

08-05-2025

Last Updated:
Kartik Aaryan will begin shooting for Naagzilla after wrapping up his next with Anurag Basu in Sikkim and other nearby locations.
Kartik Aaryan created a lot of buzz when he announced his next film with Karan Johar titled Naagzilla. He will be playing the role of Preyamvadeshwar Pyare Chand, an Ichadaari Naag. It's set to release in theatres on August 14, 2026. Well, now there is a fresh update. Anil Kapoor or Bobby Deol will be seen as the villain in the film. Yes, you are reading right. Bollywood Hungama has reported the news.
The entertainment portal has quoted a source saying, 'The script of Naagzilla warrants the presence of a senior actor in a negative role. Karan Johar has short-listed two names for the role – Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol – and now, Kartik will take the final casting call for Naagzilla. The entire cast of Naagzilla is being decided collaboratively, and Karan will now indulge in a discussion with Kartik and Mahaveer Jain to lock the antagonist."
'It's a tale of Icchadhari Naagin, and the villains' role is as important as that of a hero. Hence, the team is being cautious of who they lock for the film," the source added.
Reportedly, Kartik will be joined by a couple of more actors known for their impeccable comic timing, who will be playing pivotal parts in the film. While the second actor has already been locked, the makers are still on the lookout for the third face. A well-placed source tells us, 'In Naagzilla, Kartik will be sharing screen space with Ravi Kishan. This will mark their first-ever onscreen collaboration. Be assured that a lot of hilarious banter will ensue between the characters played by Kartik and Ravi."
The actor will begin shooting for Naagzilla after wrapping up his next with Anurag Basu in Sikkim and other nearby locations. For the unversed, Kartik and Karan were supposed to come together for Dostana 2 but it was later reported that Kartik is no longer a part of the film. Later, the production house issued a statement, saying that 'we will be recasting Dostana 2'.
As for Naagzilla, a while back, reports stated that Akshay Kumar was the first choice for Naagzilla but the superstar turned it down as he was not convinced with the conflict of snake vs human and didn't want to venture into the genre again after Jaani Dushman. Producers Mahaveer Jain and Karan had multiple rounds of meetings with Akshay, and when he finally backed off, they decided to reset the project with Kartik in the lead.
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