Fresh off the critical and commercial triumph of Amar Singh Chamkila, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali is set to reteam with Netflix for O Saathi Re, a whimsical new series blending fairy-tale romance with the chaos of modern metropolitan life. The project, announced Wednesday, marks another high-profile collaboration between the streamer and the director behind beloved Indian films like Jab We Met and Rockstar, as Netflix continues to deepen its investment in premium South Asian storytelling.
Produced by Window Seat Films and Reliance Entertainment, O Saathi Re will star Aditi Rao Hydari (Heeramandi), Avinash Tiwary (Sikandar Ka Muqaddar), and Arjun Rampal (Rana Naidu), reuniting all three actors with Netflix. Described as “an enchanted fairy tale set in the fiasco of metropolitan life,” the series explores love’s enduring complexities through Ali’s signature lens of poetic realism. Production is slated to begin by month’s end in India.
Ali, who will serve as creator, writer, and showrunner, called the project “a modern story with a vintage heart” that “surprised me at every turn of its development.” His brother, Arif Ali (She), will direct the series, with Imtiaz and co-writer Amogh Kanaskar crafting scripts that juxtapose magical realism against urban grit. The director’s frequent collaborators Mohit Choudhary and Nidhi Sethia join as executive and creative producers, respectively, alongside Vishal Bajaj and Pratik Nandkumar More.
“O Saathi Re is about the collision between idealism and reality—how love persists even when life feels like it’s unraveling,” Ali said in a statement. “Having Arif helm this with such a stellar cast [allows] the story to breathe in ways I couldn’t have imagined alone.”
The series’ ensemble leans into Netflix’s strategy of leveraging familiar talent for its Indian slate. Hydari, fresh from her lauded turn in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, will headline alongside Tiwary (whose Sikandar Ka Muqaddar premiered last year) and Rampal, returning after Rana Naidu’s second season.
For Netflix, the project underscores its focus on marquee auteurs and layered romantic dramas in a market dominated by mytho-historical epics. “Imtiaz has an unparalleled ability to capture human dilemmas with haunting authenticity,” said Tanya Bami, Netflix India’s series head. “O Saathi Re is both fresh and timeless—a story that dissects contemporary relationships while honoring love’s eternal quirks.”
Ali’s relationship with Netflix has flourished since 2020’s She, which he co-wrote and produced. The streamer’s bet on his brand of introspective storytelling paid off with Chamkila, a Diljit Dosanjh-led biopic that became one of India’s most-watched Netflix films of 2024.
With O Saathi Re, the director aims to push boundaries further. Early details hint at a narrative weaving magical realism with urban disillusionment—think Tamasha’s existential yearning meets Eternal Sunshine’s fragmented romance. For Hydari, Tiwary, and Rampal, the series offers meaty roles: Hydari as a soulful dreamer, Tiwary as a pragmatic artist, and Rampal as a enigmatic figure bridging their worlds.
The project arrives as Netflix doubles down on Indian originals, with recent successes like Kota Factory Season 3 and Mighty Little Bheem underscoring demand for diverse narratives. If Ali’s track record holds, O Saathi Re could become a touchstone for viewers craving love stories that are as philosophically rich as they are emotionally resonant.
O Saathi Re is expected to premiere globally on Netflix in 2025.
(source: variety)
