Raj & DK’s period comedy Gulkanda Tales starring Kunal Kemmu & Patralekhaa shelved? Here’s what we know

Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. are filmmakers who have been busy since the rise of OTT platforms in India. Their web shows have been some of the most successful and talked-about series in recent years, including The Family Man, Farzi, and Guns & Gulaabs. Their recent projects have been plagued by controversy and criticism. However, as per reports, Raj & DK’s show Gulkanda Tales with Kunal Khemu has been shelved.

Raj & DK’s show Gulkanda Tales with Kunal Khemu shelved

As reported by Bollywood Hungama, their latest show, Citadel: Honey Bunny, a spy thriller backed by the Russo Brothers, was a massive failure. Many critics stated that it did not justify the high production costs and the investment put into it by Prime Video. The show starred Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu but got a poor response from audiences and critics alike.

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The duo has been busy working on multiple projects at once, with a total of five shows being produced simultaneously. In an interview, Raj Nidimoru stated that he and DK had waited a long time for stars to give them dates. Raj Nidimoru said, “DK and I had to wait a lot in the early part of our career for stars to give us dates. We have a lot of stories, and we can’t wait to get them all out. Now that we have the reigns in our hands for the past few years and we became producers, it’s time to push all these out.”

The show got flak for casting Varun Dhawan in an action role, to which Raj had told Bollywood Hungama, “I like to push actors. I like to see them in a new light.” And now that they had the reigns, they wanted to push out all the stories they had. However, this may not have been the best strategy, as their recent releases have been met with criticism.

Rakt Brahmand

The financial irregularities in their next big-ticket show, Rakt Bramhand. Its stars Aditya Roy Kapur and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, have also come to light. The financial fraud went up to Rs 2 crore, with mishandling of funds detected and irregularities in accounting exposed. Netflix has taken the matter seriously and launched an investigation.

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Gulkanda Tales

Another blow to the director duo is that their series Gulkanda Tales, a period sex comedy starring Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Kunal Kemmu, may not see the light of day. The show has gone through several re-shoots and re-edits, but Prime Video was reportedly unimpressed with the final product. The budget for the show has gone up to a whopping Rs 120 crore. It has been over two years since it was announced. “Why will anyone get upset with any of these jokes in the show? This is fiction. This has a funny take on feminism and how misogyny is dealt with and some comedy which shows mishaps in Kamasutra.” 

Trade experts have stated that the filmmakers have taken on too much work and it is showing in the quality of their recent releases. However, one ray of hope for Raj and DK is their show The Family Man S3. Starring Manoj Bajpayee is still on track, and they are banking on it to salvage their reputation. Raj and DK have had a meteoric rise in the OTT space. But their recent controversies may have dented their credibility. Whether they can bounce back and regain their reputation remains to be seen.

Also Read: Aditya Roy Kapur CONFIRMS collaboration with Raj & DK for Rakt Brahmand; actor calls prep “intense but enjoyable”