In a move that has sent waves of excitement through the film industry, master of suspense Sriram Raghavan is officially returning to direct Badlapur 2. The announcement came as part of a major new slate from Maddock Films and Amazon Prime Video. For a director who has famously resisted making sequels, this decision alone signals that the story for the second installment must be something truly special.
The original Badlapur (2015) was a landmark film. It was a dark, gritty, and morally complex thriller that gave Varun Dhawan a career-defining role and set a new benchmark for the neo-noir genre in India. The news of a sequel brings one big question to everyone’s mind: how do you follow up a modern classic? For Raghavan, the answer lies in exploring bold new territory.
A Sequel From An “Anti-Sequel” Filmmaker
Sriram Raghavan has built a reputation on originality. With films like Johnny Gaddaar, Ek Hasina Thi, and the global hit Andhadhun, he has consistently delivered unique and unpredictable stories. His reluctance to make sequels has always stemmed from a desire to avoid creative repetition. The fact that he is developing Badlapur 2 suggests that he and his writers have found an idea that is not just a continuation, but a compelling evolution of the first film’s world.
This makes Badlapur 2 one of the most interesting projects in development. It’s not just another sequel; it’s a rare exception from a filmmaker who only commits when the idea is too good to ignore.
New Story Or Continued Revenge Saga?
The biggest mystery right now is the story itself. According to a source close to the project, the creative team is still in the early stages of scripting. “Sriram Raghavan and his writers are still shaping the story. They’re experimenting with bold ideas, but it’s too early to say if it will be a direct continuation or a spiritual successor,” the source revealed. This confirms that nothing is off the table.
The team is weighing two very different paths: either continuing the dark journey of Raghu (Varun Dhawan’s character) or creating a new story with new characters that exists in the same universe of rage and revenge. The final decision on casting will only be made once the script is locked. With production planned for 2026, fans have a while to wait, but the promise of Raghavan’s “bold ideas” makes it worth it.
About Badlapur
Badlapur is a 2015 Indian neo-noir action thriller film directed by Sriram Raghavan and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Sunil Lulla. Based on the novel Death’s Dark Abyss by Massimo Carlotto, the film starred Varun Dhawan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, with Huma Qureshi, Yami Gautam, Vinay Pathak, Divya Dutta, and Radhika Apte in supporting roles. The film was a critical and commercial success, praised for its direction, screenplay, and performances.
