Filmmaker and producer Hansal Mehta has a number of projects lined up in the near future. He spoke about them and more in an interview with us.
Producer, director, OTT, big screen… this seems like the busiest phase of your life. Are you enjoying it?
Honestly? I’m enjoying it more than I ever have. Not because I’m doing more — I’ve always done a lot — but because the work now comes from a place of choice, not desperation. For years, I was fighting to survive in this industry. Now I’m building things. True Story Films, new formats, new collaborations. The volume isn’t the point. The variety is. Look at what’s on my desk on any given day: a mammoth series about Gandhi still in post-production, a wrongful conviction drama set in America, a love story with Lijo Jose Pellissery, a post-apocalyptic thriller with Ranveer Singh, a horror film, a financial crime franchise, a Netflix series, an AI-powered food show rooted in Indian culinary history — and I’m developing more.
I’m moving between directing and producing, between OTT and the big screen, between India and international, between intimate human stories and large-scale spectacle. That range would have been impossible fifteen years ago. No single platform or format could have held all of this. So yes, busy — but it’s the right kind of busy.
Which of your roles behind the camera do you enjoy the most?
Directing is where I feel most alive — that’s the honest answer and it will never change. But producing has taught me something I didn’t expect: patience. As a director, you’re in the moment, making instinctive decisions. As a producer, you’re playing a longer game — protecting a vision over months and years, choosing which battles to fight. I’ve learned to enjoy that too.
At True Story Films, Sahil Saigal — my partner — runs the company with real passion and efficiency, and that frees me to focus on what I care about most: creating a safe space for directors and studios. A place where creative decisions and commercial considerations aren’t necessarily at loggerheads. That’s the culture I’m trying to build. I am trying to create the space I’ve always wanted as a director. I want to be the producer I’ve always wanted as a director. It’s not easy, but when it works, it produces better films and better relationships — and that matters to me as much as any credit on screen.
Tell me about your forthcoming projects
There’s quite a slate. As a director — Scam: The Sahara Story is on SonyLIV, the next chapter in the Scam franchise is already in the works. Family Business is a new series for Netflix that I’m very excited about. Porbandar is something I’m developing — I’ll say more when it’s ready. 250 Miles is an international feature I’m deeply invested in — it’s the true story of a wrongful conviction in America and it’s as much about time as it is about justice.
As a producer, True Story Films is building something special. We’re producing Dilkashi, a love story directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery. We’re producing Jai Mehta’s ambitious post-apocalyptic thriller with Ranveer Singh. And there’s Mehfooz, a horror film. Beyond these, we’re developing a slate that is diverse and strongly rooted. And then there’s Khana Dil Se — which is unlike anything anyone has attempted: an AI-generated series that journeys through India’s kitchen, dish by dish, region by region. I created Khana Khazana 32 years ago; this feels like coming full circle but with entirely new tools.
You have come a long way since 1993. How do you view your journey so far?
I view it as a series of collapses and rebuilds. I don’t have a neat arc. I had early success, then years in the wilderness, then reinvention with Shahid, then the Scam universe, and now this phase. What I’m proudest of isn’t any single film — it’s that I kept showing up. I backed actors nobody would touch, told stories the industry said were uncommercial, and refused to play it safe even when playing it safe would have been the rational thing to do. The journey has been defined by what I’d call unreasonable ambition — the refusal to accept the boundaries other people draw for you. That’s cost me plenty, but it’s also the reason I’m still here and still excited.
When do you return to direction after Gandhi?
I never really stop. Even when I’m producing, my head is in director mode. But in terms of a formal next directorial — I have something I’m circling that I’ll commit to once the current slate settles. I don’t want to announce prematurely. What I can say is that it won’t be what people expect from me, which at this point is probably the most predictable thing I can say.
What are the release plans for Gandhi?
Gandhi is a series, and we’re still in post-production. It’s a mammoth production and we’re completing it with love and immense pride. As for release plans, that’s a question best answered by the studio when they’re ready to announce. What I can tell you is that the project is in a good place and there’s real excitement around it. I’d rather let the work speak when it arrives than generate noise before it’s time.
How and how much do you think Dhurandhar has impacted our cinema?
I’m genuinely happy for Aditya Dhar — his conviction and audacity have fetched him handsome returns. Films like these don’t come from playing safe; they come from backing your instinct and pushing through doubt. It’s heartening to see that rewarded. Selfishly, I’m even more delighted that Ranveer Singh has headlined a film that truly does justice to his immense talent. He’s always had range, but this kind of success only propels his journey further — as an actor and a star who isn’t afraid to embrace variety, risk, and reinvention. If there is an impact, it lies there — in reinforcing that ambition, both behind the camera and in front of it, still has a place in the mainstream.
Also Read: Arjun Rampal teams up with Hansal Mehta and Robbie Grewal for Amazon MX Player original Billionaire
More Pages: Dhurandhar The Revenge Box Office Collection , Dhurandhar The Revenge Movie Review
BOLLYWOOD NEWS - LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2026 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.