After his viral hug with Shah Rukh Khan at the 70th Filmfare Awards, Akshay Kumar is reportedly preparing for another cinematic success: playing the lead role in the 2024 Hindi remake of the Telugu hit *Sankrantiki Vasthanam*. The action-comedy film, which has grossed over ₹300 crore worldwide, will be re-introduced to Bollywood with Akshay Kumar in the lead role, raising fans’ excitement for his comedic skills in a high-stakes family thriller.

Directed by Anil Ravipudi and produced by Dil Raju under Sri Venkateswara Creations, the original film stars Venkatesh as suspended police officer YD Raju, whose idyllic life with wife Bhagyalakshmi (Aishwarya Rajesh) and children is shattered when he is sent on a mission against a terrorist gang. The chaos takes many twists and turns with his ex-girlfriend playing a key role, which is a mix of comedy, heart-touching and exciting chase scenes. The soundtrack by Bheems Cicirello further added to its Sankranti appeal, making it the highest-grossing film of Venkatesh’s career.

Sources told OTTPlay that Kumar has given the green signal to the project after watching the film recently and is co-producing it with Raju—his third Hindi film after *Jersey* and *Hit: The First Case*. A top Hindi director has been selected, but the lead heroine has not been finalized yet amid Kumar’s busy film schedule. The previously scheduled shooting will now take place after his upcoming commitments, and he is eyeing a 2026 release. “Akshay’s timing is perfect for this entertaining film,” a source said, pointing to the adaptation to suit the North Indian environment.

The discussion coincides with Kumar’s star-powered Filmfare moment in Ahmedabad on October 11, where he shared a rare, brotherly hug with host Shah Rukh Khan along with Karan Johar. The clip was making waves online, garnering millions of views, and fans chanting: “Do a movie together!” And “Old memories come alive!” Shahrukh’s charm and Kumar’s slogan for Aryan Khan’s debut made the atmosphere even more exciting.

Professionally, Kumar’s 2025 successes have continued: *Jolly LLB 3* starring Arshad Warsi and Saurabh Shukla crossed the ₹100 crore mark, earning 3.5-4 star ratings for its courtroom wit and social cheekiness—his 15th such hit. Now she is busy with the last schedule of *Haivaan*—a thriller remake of Mohanlal’s *Oppam* directed by Priyadarshan—in which Saif Ali Khan is reuniting with her after 17 years. Kumar’s villainous look, his first negative role since 2007’s *Hey Baby*, gives a hint of intensity in a first-look video: tough, serious and the embodiment of “Satan”.

Along with *Bhoot Bangla* and *Welcome to the Jungle*, Kumar’s remake promises to be full of laughs in 2026. While fans dream of the magic of Shah Rukh-Akshay, this *sankranti* cements the renaissance of their remakes.