Alia Bhatt headlining spy universe film, confirms YRF CEO

Alia Bhatt is headlining a film in the YRF spy universe, filming for which will begin later this year, Yash Raj Films CEO Akshaye Widhani said on Tuesday.

The YRF Spy Universe is an ambitious franchise that will see characters from different films cross paths. Tiger starring Salman Khan, War starring Hrithik Roshan, and Pathaan starring Shah Rukh Khan are part of the YRF spy universe.

Speaking at FICCI Frames, Widhani called the YRF spy universe "a financial and cultural juggernaut" and one of the studio's most-prized IPs.

"I will share the worst-kept secret in the industry, which is Alia Bhatt is headlining a spy universe film and that the schedule starts later this year ... We are actually just so thrilled and excited about having this IP in the studio," Widhani said, confirming reports about the actor's casting.

"There's a lot of stuff that's going to come into the spy universe. We are going to see more and more films getting made under it. For now, I can just say that Alia Bhatt is headlining a spy universe film," he said.

Bhatt is set to team up with Sharvari Wagh in the yet-to-be-titled film. They will play super-agents in the action entertainer.

The next film in YRF's spy franchise is War 2, starring Roshan, NTR Jr and Kiara Advani. It will be directed by Ayan Mukerji. Pathaan 2 and Tiger vs Pathaan are also in the pipeline.

Earlier, a source told Pinkvilla, "This is the twist to the YRF Spy Universe timeline - Pathaan 2 will predate Tiger vs Pathaan and will set up the clash of two cinematic legends on the big screen. Shah Rukh Khan as Pathaan is definitely a character that has resonated with the audiences, and there is a constant on-ground demand from the audience to see more of SRK in the spy avatar. Soon after the release in January 2023, Adi and SRK had decided to spin Pathaan into a standalone franchise too within the Spy Universe and the former started ideating the sequel of this all-time blockbuster."