Nakhrewaalii reaches cinemas on October 30, 2026, with Ansh Duggal and Pragati Srivastava in the lead roles. Rahul Shanklya directs the Hindi romantic comedy, which is produced by Jio Studios and Colour Yellow Productions, the banner run by Aanand L Rai. The film is presented as a modern take on relationships, with a playful reversal of familiar courtship roles at its centre.
The story follows Sumit Mishra, played by Duggal, and Paridhi, played by Srivastava. Written by Divy Nidhi Sharma, Nakhrewaalii takes a playful approach to modern relationships, gender equality and the expectations society places on men and women. Bollywood Hungama lists Akash Makhija, Ayushi Varma, Kumud Mishra, Gopal Datt and Kanupriya Pandit in the ensemble. The film uses the invented word “womantic” in its publicity to signal its twist on familiar romance patterns.
Nakhrewaalii story and lead pairing
The lead pairing is new to cinemas. Duggal shot Nakhrewaalii before taking on “Don’t Be Shy”, but the latter became his first project to reach audiences. Variety India reported that the Prime Video show is backed by Alia Bhatt and includes Aarushi Bajaj, Bianca Arora and Piyush Khati. Nakhrewaalii therefore arrives after Duggal has already been seen on screen, but it remains the first film he shot.
Nakhrewaalii two year wait for release
Nakhrewaalii was initially touted for release in February 2025, Variety India reported, and it was pushed back multiple times. Duggal said he had moved on from the project during the wait. He told Variety India, “I had moved on, 100 percent, because it was a wait of two years. After a point, you have to accept it and then move on. You can’t stay in the past. You feel like it’s gone because we worked really hard to make that film. I’m very attached to it because it’s the first film I shot.”
Duggal came from Delhi to Mumbai to become an actor at the age of 25, Variety India reported. He said he did not choose Nakhrewaalii so much as the film chose him, because an offer to play the lead in a film from Rai was not one he could turn down. He said declining never crossed his mind out of fear of judgment, and that he would rather take the chance and make the role his own. He described himself as lucky and grateful to be offered a film with Rai attached to it.
Nakhrewaalii opens in a crowded weekend, with several Hindi, English and regional language films arriving on October 30. Its romantic comedy positioning sets it apart from the family entertainers and dramas sharing the date. The film will now be judged by cinema audiences after a long wait, with Duggal and Srivastava leading a story that turns a familiar Laila and Majnu pattern around and asks what happens when the man has to change his approach to win love.