Kabir Khan is diving straight back into the world of grit, sweat and big-screen inspiration, and he is doing it with Kartik Aaryan by his side again. After the duo’s Chandu Champion (2024), the filmmaker has now rolled camera on his next yet-untitled sports drama, a film inspired by the journey of Kashmiri kickboxing prodigy Tajamul Islam.
The project quietly kicked off in Mumbai on March 16, 2026, with the first schedule designed to establish the story’s lived-in, middle-class texture before the unit heads to Kashmir for an extensive leg that is expected to place the Valley front and centre in the narrative.
The Latest Update
The Mumbai schedule began at a restaurant in Parel, where Kabir shot scenes featuring a crowd of around 70 junior artistes. The location was reimagined to match the film’s grounded world, with the early portion of the shoot focused on setting up the everyday details that frame Tajamul’s story.
While the makers are keeping the identity of the actor playing Tajamul under wraps, Kartik Aaryan is locked in for a pivotal part. He will portray her coach in the film and is expected to join the unit later this week. An insider on the production said, “The early scenes are about grounding the story in everyday details. Kartik will join by the weekend. He has been training in kickboxing for the role.”
The Mumbai stint is expected to run for about two weeks. After that, the unit will move to Kashmir, which is set to host a substantial schedule. The reasoning is baked into the story itself since Tajamul Islam, the real-life inspiration, hails from Jammu and Kashmir. The insider added that Kabir and his team conducted an extended recce in Kashmir in February 2026 ahead of the shoot.
Tajamul Islam’s achievements have made her a standout figure in Indian sport. She won gold in the Under-8 category at the World Kickboxing Championship in 2016 and repeated the feat in the Under-14 category in 2021. She also launched her own training academy in Bandipora in 2019, after speaking up about the need for better sports infrastructure in Kashmir.
Kartik Aaryan’s Recent And Upcoming Work
Aaryan’s recent run has been dominated by high-profile theatrical titles. He led Kabir Khan’s Chandu Champion (2024), followed by Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 (2024). Before that, his 2023 releases included Rohit Dhawan’s Shehzada (2023) and Sameer Vidwans’ Satyaprem Ki Katha (2023).
On the OTT front, Kartik headlined Freddy (2022), which premiered on Disney+ Hotstar. As of March 2026, his next confirmed film on the floor is Kabir Khan’s Tajamul Islam inspired sports drama, with the Kashmir schedule lined up after the Mumbai leg.
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