PremiumAbbas-Mustan's Penthouse: Bobby Deol, Arjun Rampal, Sharman Joshi's thriller takes a twisted journey from Netflix to JioCinema; details inside
It's time for the resurgence of Penthouse, which also stars Mouni Roy in a pivotal role.
Last Updated: 01.34 PM, Nov 14, 2023
Abbas-Mustan's debut in the world of digital entertainment appears to be full of surprises, just like their suspense thrillers. The directing team's first online film, working title Penthouse, was revealed as a Netflix original in March 2021. After initially planning to air the film starring Bobby Deol, Arjun Rampal, and Sharman Joshi, the OTT behemoth reportedly pulled the plug in July 2022. After almost two years, the story takes an unexpected turn. As per reports in Mid Day, JioCinema is reportedly in talks with the creators of the murder mystery.
Designing a sleek murder mystery
Starring Tisca Chopra, Mouni Roy, and Cyrus Broacha, Penthouse is a remake of the Belgian film Loft (2008), itself a version of the 2014 Hollywood film The Loft. The crime novels featured a group of five married men who lived together in a penthouse in the same city where they had affairs. However, things turn ugly when a woman is discovered dead in the loft.
A source told the tabloid that thrillers are Abbas-Mustan's forte, and in the same vein, the Bobby and Arjun-starrer has been designed as a sleek murder mystery. The producers have started talking with JioCinema. It's the first OTT movie from the directing team, so there's a lot of anticipation for it.
Setting the record straight
Penthouse reportedly began shooting in November 2020 and was completed in May 2021. When asked if the film has been sitting in the cans ever since, dispelling the claims, Abbas Burmawalla said that people imagined they had completed the film before 2021. However, they didn't start shooting until 2022, and they are only now wrapping up post-production. In 2020, in Goregaon, they erected a massive set, but they had to take it down because of the pandemic. When the pandemic was over, they were finally able to begin filming.
When asked about rumours that the murder mystery has been shifted to JioCinema, the filmmaker replied that they have delivered the final product to the producers. From what they understand, they have reclaimed the rights from Netflix and are currently in negotiations with JioCinema. The decision of when to release the film is now in their hands.