Veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha is beaming with pride as his son, Kussh Sinha, embarks on his directorial journey with the supernatural thriller "Nikita Roy." The film, releasing this Friday, June 27, 2025, features Sonakshi Sinha in the lead role, alongside seasoned actors like Paresh Rawal and Arjun Rampal.
Shatrughan Sinha has been vocal in his support, taking to social media to express his excitement. He lauded Kussh as a "brilliant and gifted" director and cheered for Sonakshi, calling her an "actor par excellence." He also extended his best wishes to the entire team of "Nikita Roy."
Kussh Sinha's directorial debut has been long-awaited, and he has spoken about the reasons behind choosing this particular project. He revealed that the film's release was delayed due to technical issues, but those have now been resolved. Kussh has emphasized that "Nikita Roy" is an original story, carefully reworked with a strong protagonist and antagonist. He was drawn to the script's potential and its unique blend of genres, including supernatural elements, horror, and thriller.
Talking about casting his sister, Sonakshi, Kussh clarified that it was a professional decision, not an act of favoritism. He believes Sonakshi's talent has been underutilized in some of her previous films and wanted to give her a role that would allow her to fully showcase her capabilities. He felt she would do complete justice to the character of Nikita Roy, a grounded character facing unreal, supernatural challenges. Kussh wanted Sonakshi because in certain films, such as Akira, Lootera and Dabangg, her potential was fully tapped. He felt that in other films she was underutilized. Kussh clarified that casting Sonakshi wasn't biased. After internal discussions, Sonakshi was approached. She liked the script, so they decided to cast her.
Sonakshi, on her part, has spoken about the dynamic of working with her brother as a director. While acknowledging their sibling bond, she emphasized that on set, she treated him with the respect due to any director. Sonakshi shared that they had an argument about the color of ice cream and how it would not look good on camera.
"Nikita Roy" is described as a genre-blending film, aiming to offer something new to audiences amidst criticisms of formulaic content in Bollywood. The trailer hints at the film's supernatural, horror, and thriller elements.
The film also stars Paresh Rawal, who plays a baba that helps those troubled by supernatural activity, and Arjun Rampal.
"Nikita Roy" faces a box office clash with Kajol's horror film "Maa." Sonakshi has expressed a positive attitude towards the clash, viewing it as a sign of progress that two female-led films are releasing simultaneously. She believes there is room for both films to succeed and wishes the "Maa" team well.
Early reviews of "Nikita Roy" have been positive, with some praising Sonakshi Sinha's powerful performance and Kussh Sinha's phenomenal direction. One reviewer gave the film 4 stars, calling it a "smashing film" with top-notch storytelling, screenplay, dialogues, cinematography, and writing.
