Sanjay Mishra, Rajesh Tailang and Dolly Singh to star in neo-noir dark comedy Arjun Bewakoof

Indian indie filmmakers Anand Raaj and Smita Singh are reuniting for their second feature, Arjun Bewakoof, a neo-noir dark comedy starring Sanjay Mishra, Rajesh Tailang and Dolly Singh. The film emerges from Open Theatre, an audience-driven OTT platform founded by actor-writer Anand Raaj and director Smita Singh, which allows viewers to directly invest in independent films and earn returns through a pay-per-view profit model.

What surprises does Arjun Bewakoof have in stock?

Following the appreciation and critical acclaim for their earlier indie film Andaman which also starred Sanjay and Rajesh, the duo are mounting a genre-blending entertainer that combines neo-noir suspense, dark comedy challenging the notion that independent filmmakers are limited to social dramas or slice-of-life narratives.

“After Andaman, I often heard that independent filmmakers can only make intimate social dramas — not large-scale, audience-friendly cinema. I strongly disagree with that condescending belief,” said Anand. “Arjun Bewakoof is my response, a film with wide appeal, strong music, a compelling love story and a neo-noir suspense core. It was a creative risk for me, but the script evolved beautifully and attracted a talented team purely because of its strength.”

Open Theatre’s model enables filmmakers to crowdsource investments directly through social media outreach. Once the film releases on the platform, profits generated via its pay-per-view system are redistributed among investors, positioning it as a democratised alternative to traditional studio financing.

Smita says, “Reuniting with Sanjay Mishra is always special. He brings out something new in me, both as a filmmaker and as a person. In this film, he steps into an atarangi space — layered, unexpected and completely original. Rajesh bhai is like my brother and have always been supportive to me. When these two important people stand by me, I feel rest everything will be taken care of.”

She added that Dolly Singh joined the film after Rajesh recommended her for the role.

“Dolly connected deeply with her character and was especially excited about sharing screen space with Sanjay, whom she admires greatly. Her passion for independent cinema and strong storytelling brought her on board, despite the project operating on a nearly no-budget scale.”

Reflecting on the realities of indie filmmaking, Smita said, “Independent filmmakers don’t just direct films, we build entire ecosystems from scratch. From securing locations and managing budgets to conducting workshops and handling logistics, we do it all. At times, it feels like balancing eight arms at once. The creative vision must survive through constant logistical challenges.”

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