Dinesh Vijan announces adaptations of Arabian Nights, including films Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Aladdin

After the success of its romantic comedy Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films has announced its plans to make films based on Arabian Nights. The plans include a film on Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and standalone projects on Aladdin and Sinbad. (Also Read: Zara Hatke Zara Bachke: Vicky Kaushal, Sara Ali Khan’s film holds its own at box office despite Adipurush release)

Dinesh Vijan on Arabian Nights adaptation

In an interview to Variety, Dinesh said, “The new purchasing power, the new India needs stories, which are within India. The next phase of what we want to try and do is, we want to up the ante, we still want to make stories which are powerful, but if you have to go in theaters, we need to make them larger.”

Horror comedy universe

Maddock Films is already building a horror comedy universe with Stree 2, starring Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana reprising their roles from Amar Kaushik’s 2018 blockbuster, and Bhediya 2, starring Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon, reprising their roles from Amar’s creature comedy last year. The two worlds will soon merge, as hinted at by Amar in the climax and post-credit song, Thumkeshwari, of Bhediya.

Recent projects by Maddock

Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, a small-town romantic comedy starring Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan in lead roles, is on the verge of crossing ₹70 crore at the Indian box office in its third week, despite competition from the epic adventure film Adipurush.

On streaming, Maddock recently bankrolled Chor Nikal Ke Bhaaga, a heist hijack film starring Yami Gautam and Sunny Kaushal, for Netflix India, Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo, a crime drama directed by Homi Adajania starring Dimple Kapadia and Radhika Madan among others, for Disney+ Hotstar and most recently, Jee Karda, a series starring Tamannaah Bhatia for Prime Video India.

Upcoming projects of Maddock

The revised slate of Maddock Films, as on June 20, includes:

An untitled romantic drama starring Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon, alongside Dharmendra and Dimple Kapadia, slated for December 7

Murder Mubarak, a mystery film for Netflix India directed by Homi, and starring Dimple, Karisma Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Kunal Kemmu, Pankaj Tripathi and Sanjay Kapoor

Tehran, an action film starring John Abraham and Manushi Chhillar

Ikkis, Sriram Raghavan’s war drama starring Agastya Nanda and Dharmendra

Chhaava, Laxman Utekar’s period action film starring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna

Shiddat 2, starring Sunny Kaushal and Parineeti Chopra.