Netflix Announces Pushpak Vimaan: Sudip Sharma’s Crime Caper Stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Abhishek Banerjee and Barun Sobti
Netflix has announced Pushpak Vimaan, a new crime caper from Sudip Sharma, the creator behind Paatal Lok, Kohrra, NH10 and Udta Punjab — and this time, the filmmaker best known for grim, layered crime drama is turning to comedy. The series stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Abhishek Banerjee and Barun Sobti in the lead roles.
Co-created and written by Sharma and Banerjee, Pushpak Vimaan follows an eclectic ensemble of characters who find themselves entangled in a chain of events that spirals far beyond anyone’s control. As per the makers, it is a crime caper in which humour arises from the characters, their circumstances and the sheer unpredictability of the situations they find themselves in — a deliberate departure from the dark tone associated with Sharma’s earlier work.
The series is directed by Sharma and produced by Film Squad Productions LLP, with Saurabh Malhotra as producer. It marks the second creative collaboration between Sharma and Netflix, following the success of Kohrra. Speaking about the project, Sharma said he wanted to explore a very different creative space, adding that Netflix is where he chooses to experiment. Tanya Bami, Series Head at Netflix India, called the show “an unputdownable caper” and “one hell of a fun ride.”
No release date, episode count or trailer has been announced yet. The announcement itself, made on November 12, is the news: Netflix has put one of its most trusted Indian creators on a comedy, and handed him three of streaming’s most dependable actors to do it with.
Filmverse take: the tonal shift is the story here, and it is a bigger gamble than the casting. Sharma built his reputation on dread — Paatal Lok’s moral murk, Kohrra’s slow-burn grief — so a caper that finds its humour in spiralling chaos asks him to keep the plotting tight while letting the characters be funny, which is a harder balance than either pure thriller or pure comedy. The casting hedges that bet well: Jaideep Ahlawat brings the gravity that keeps a caper from floating away, Abhishek Banerjee is co-creating as well as starring, which suggests the humour is baked into the writing rather than pasted on, and Barun Sobti’s return to a high-profile ensemble gives the show a third distinct energy. If it works, Netflix gets a franchise it can grow the way it grew Kohrra; if the tone wobbles, it will still be one of the most-watched Indian announcements of the season.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter India, Bollywood Hungama, Cinema Express.
