Is Ali Abbas Zafar back to YRF to direct ‘Pathaan 2’?

MUMBAI: Director Ali Abbas Zafar, who is known for ‘Sultan’, ‘Tiger’ Zinda Hai’, ‘Jogi’, and others, is back to the fold as he has returned to India’s premier studio Yash Raj Films.

This also raises speculations if Ali has made a return to the studio in order to take over the reins for the 2nd part of the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer blockbuster ‘Pathaan’.

‘Pathaan’ was made on a budget of Rs 270 crores, and collected Rs 1050 crores worldwide making it one of the biggest profitable ventures of YRF.

The possibility of Ali directing ‘Pathaan 2’ is high after the director of ‘Pathaan’, Siddharth Anand left ‘War 2’ for Ayan Mukerji, and delivered ‘Fighter’ as his home production.

Ali has directed some of YRF's biggest successes, including ‘Sultan’ and ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’. ‘Pathaan’ rejuvenated the spy thriller genre in Bollywood, further bolstering the success of YRF's ‘Spy Universe’ which includes films like ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ and ‘War’.

Unsurprisingly, anticipation for a sequel is through the roof, with fans eager to learn who will helm the next instalment.

While there's no official confirmation of Ali directing ‘Pathaan 2’ as of yet, the signs point to something big in the works between Zafar and YRF. If he does helm the sequel, it could be a winning combination of storytelling prowess and action-packed sequences that fans of the franchise are waiting for.

Meanwhile, there have been new additions to the fabled spy universe of YRF, the latest being the Alia Bhatt and Sharvari-starrer ‘Alpha’ which marks the 1st female-led film in the spy universe. It is directed by Shiv Rawail, who is known for the streaming series ‘The Railway Men’ which was also produced by YRF.

Created by producer Aditya Chopra, the YRF spy includes blockbusters like ‘Ek Tha Tiger’, ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’, ‘War’, ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Tiger 3’.