Overview

• The director says he had no option but to cancel Bedhadak and recalls the difficulty of telling Shanaya Kapoor her debut was not happening.
• He attributes the decision to COVID-era disruptions, citing lockdowns, budget pressures, travel hurdles and positive cases on shoots.
• The film had been announced with Shanaya Kapoor, Lakshya and Gurfateh Pirzada, and promotional posters were released before the project stalled.
• Maheep Kapoor earlier said Shanaya was traumatized by the setback; Khaitan says he chose early honesty so newcomers could pursue other opportunities.
• Shanaya later debuted in Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan (2024) and has further projects lined up, while Khaitan notes other shelved titles and says a Varun Dhawan espionage film could be revisited if timing allows.