- Aditya Dhar planned a film titled Raat Baaki in 2016 starring Fawad Khan and Katrina Kaif
- The Uri attack in 2016 led to a ban on Pakistani artists, shelving Dhar's debut project
- Raat Baaki was reworked into the 2024 Netflix film Dhoom Dhaam produced by Dhar
Aditya Dhar, who made his blockbuster debut with Vicky Kaushal's Uri: The Surgical Strike, originally wanted to direct a film starring Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan and Katrina Kaif. But destiny had other plans.
His first project—backed by Dharma Productions and featuring Fawad—was shelved after the Uri attack in 2016. Ahead of the release of his much-awaited sequel Dhurandhar 2, old stories about the ace director have resurfaced.
Aditya Dhar Was Planning a Film Called Raat Baaki (2016)
Back in 2016, Aditya Dhar was set to direct a movie titled Raat Baaki, starring Pakistani star Fawad Khan and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles.
The film was slated to go on floors by the end of 2016. But in September that year, four Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed militants raided an Indian Army camp in Jammu & Kashmir, killing 19 soldiers.
The deadly attack sparked nationwide outrage, protests, and an immediate ban on Pakistani artistes working in India—shattering Dhar's hopes for his debut.
"Aditya Dhar, then a seasoned screenwriter with years of quiet hustle, was finally stepping into the director's chair. He was all set to direct his debut film Raat Baaki, a glossy Dharma Productions romance with none other than the Pakistani star Fawad Khan and Katrina Kaif. It was sleek, star-studded, and locked in—until geopolitics came crashing through the frame.
"In September 2016, the Uri terror attack stunned the country. It was one of the deadliest attacks on Indian security forces in Kashmir. What followed was a wave of public outrage and a swift ban on Pakistani artists working in India. Just like that, Aditya Dhar's dream project was shelved. The Uri attack that shook the nation had also quietly ended Dhar's big break before it began," film scholar Yasser Usman wrote in a special article for NDTV.
Aditya Dhar's Raat Baaki Became Dhoom Dhaam
The Netflix film Dhoom Dhaam (2024), starring Yami Gautam and Pratik Gandhi, is actually a rework of Aditya Dhar's shelved project Raat Baaki.
Admitting details to Bollywood Hungama in 2025, Dhar said, "That's true. It's the same story. But we tweaked it a little bit. We made it contemporary—a story for today's times."
Aditya Dhar produced the film, while the film was directed by Rishab Seth.
About Dhurandhar 2
Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar, released in December 2025, became the highest-grossing film in a single language. Its sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, is poised to smash box-office records. Headlined by Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and R. Madhavan, the film releases in theatres on March 19, with paid previews nationwide tomorrow.
The first film drew diverse opinions on social media about its politics. Nonetheless, it made a whopping business at the box office.
Also Read | Allu Cinemas, Largest Dolby Cinema In India, To Open With Dhurandhar 2 On March 18
