EXCLUSIVE: Sanjay Mishra, Rajesh Tailang and Dolly Singh will star in dark-comedy neo-noir Arjun Bewakoof.
The Indian indie pic comes from the makers of Andaman – actor-writer Anand Raaj and director Smita Singh. It is backed by their service Open Theatre, which audience-driven OTT platform that allows viewers to directly invest in independent films and earn returns through a pay-per-view profit model.
Raaj and Singh previously cast Mishra and Tailang as stars of Andaman, a Covid 19-themed social pic released in 2020.
Veteran actor Mishra is a two-time Filmfare Critics Award For Best Actor winner for 2015’s Ankhon Dekhi and 2022’s Vadh, and has numerous other film and TV credits. Tailang is known for starring in 2013 India-Canada pic Siddharth, for which he received a Best Actor nomination at the Canadian Screen Awards. More recently, he starred in Netflix series Delhi Crime and JioHotstar’s Dahan: Raakan Ka Rahasya. He has also roles in Prime Video series Mirzapur.
Arjun Bewakoof plot details are thin, but Singh said they are “mounting a genre-blending entertainer that combines neo-noir suspense, dark comedy challenging the notion that independent filmmakers are limited to social dramas or slice-of-life narratives.”
“After Andaman, I often heard that independent filmmakers can only make intimate social dramas — not large-scale, audience-friendly cinema,” said Raaj. “I strongly disagree with that condescending belief. Arjun Bewakoof is my response, a film with wide appeal, strong music, a compelling love story and a neo-noir suspense core. It was a creative risk for me, but the script evolved beautifully and attracted a talented team purely because of its strength.”
Smita Singh, added: “Reuniting with Sanjay Mishra is always special. He brings out something new in me, both as a filmmaker and as a person. In Arjun Bewakoof, he steps into an atarangi space – layered, unexpected and completely original. Rajesh bhai is like my brother and have always been supportive to me. When these two important people stand by me, I feel rest everything will be taken care of.”
Singh added that Dolly Singh joined the film after Rajesh Tailang recommended her for the role.
“Dolly connected deeply with her character and was especially excited about sharing screen space with Sanjay Mishra, whom she admires greatly. Her passion for independent cinema and strong storytelling brought her on board, despite the project operating on a nearly no-budget scale.”
Open Theatre’s model enables filmmakers to crowdsource investments directly through social media outreach. Once the film releases on the platform, profits generated via its pay-per-view system are redistributed among investors. Its founders say this positions it as a democratized alternative to traditional studio financing.
Smita Singh said: “Independent filmmakers don’t just direct films, we build entire ecosystems from scratch. From securing locations and managing budgets to conducting workshops and handling logistics, we do it all. At times, it feels like balancing eight arms at once. The creative vision must survive through constant logistical challenges.”