Mumbai, November 1: For Sonakshi Sinha, this week has been a blur of spotlights, statements, and speculation. Her upcoming bilingual thriller Jatadhara has just cleared the censor board with an ‘A’ certificate, she’s waded into Bollywood’s long-running debate on gruelling work hours, and in between, she’s been popping up on talk shows and podcasts, sounding more candid than ever. It’s one of those rare moments where her career, her opinions, and her timing seem to align.
The Supernatural Turn
The first big update came from The Times of India: Jatadhara, in which Sonakshi stars opposite Sudheer Babu, has wrapped up its censorship formalities and will hit theatres on November 7. The film, directed by V. Lakshman, is a bilingual supernatural drama the kind that digs into folklore rather than jump scares.
Sonakshi plays a character called Dhan Pisachani, described by the makers as a spirit caught between penance and vengeance. Producer Prerna Arora told TOI that Sonakshi’s look took nearly three months of research and design. The team studied old temple murals, regional myths, and the kind of haunting beauty that’s part of South Indian storytelling traditions.
“The look had to feel ancient and believable,” Arora reportedly said, calling it one of the most demanding creative processes she’s undertaken.
The ‘A’ certificate, however, raises a few eyebrows. Arora insists it’s more about the film’s “psychological intensity” than explicit scenes, but trade circles say an adults-only rating can sometimes limit family footfall in North Indian markets. Still, early buzz suggests that the film might find strong traction in the South, where audiences are far more open to experimental genres and Sonakshi’s crossover presence could be the wild card that bridges that gap.
Eight-Hour Workdays, Really?
If Jatadhara is where Sonakshi experiments on screen, her off-screen voice is what’s getting people talking. In an interview picked up by Mid-Day and The Times of India, she questioned the industry’s long shooting hours, saying, “What takes 14 hours on set could be done in eight.”
That line hit a nerve. Bollywood has quietly run on punishing schedules for decades sunrise-to-sunset shoots that often spill into unsafe hours for crews and actors alike. The comment came right after reports that Deepika Padukone had exited a major project because of similar scheduling issues, making Sonakshi’s words sound less like a passing remark and more like a rallying cry.
Many in the industry especially technicians and junior artistes seemed to agree. Social media was filled with nods of approval, with a few veterans reminding everyone that unions like the FWICE have been asking for an 8-hour cap for years. The catch, of course, is enforcement. Most sets are still run by chaos and ambition rather than labour law.
A few producers countered that creativity can’t be boxed into shifts. One said, half-jokingly, that “films don’t run on clocks, they run on light and money.” But Sinha’s point that better planning could replace endless slogging feels valid. It’s also refreshing to see an A-list actor say it out loud, when many prefer to stay diplomatic.
The Lighter Side
Between all the noise, Sonakshi also turned up in a far more relaxed setting the new talk show Two Much, hosted by Kajol and Twinkle Khanna, alongside her friend and designer Manish Malhotra. As Deccan Chronicle reported, she was in an unusually playful mood, swapping fashion stories, poking fun at her early red-carpet looks, and laughing at how public perception has changed over the years.
There’s also been a nostalgic touch to her media run lately. In a podcast conversation cited by The Financial Express, Sonakshi admitted she “never really planned to become an actor”. She said her debut in Dabangg happened almost by accident, “I was spotted, not auditioned,” she recalled thanks to Salman Khan’s nudge and her family’s long-standing ties in the industry. The honesty was striking, considering how carefully Bollywood stars usually edit their origin stories.
A Phase Of Rewriting Herself
Look closely and you can see a clear pattern. Sonakshi is entering what could be called her reinvention phase. After a few quiet years, she’s come back swinging first with Heeramandi, where she surprised audiences with a layered performance, and now with Jatadhara, which looks unlike anything in her filmography.
She’s not chasing glamour anymore, at least not the obvious kind. There’s a willingness to take risks a supernatural myth here, a conversation about labour ethics there that wasn’t always part of her public image.
It also speaks to a larger shift in the film industry. Bollywood actors are increasingly looking southward, joining bilingual or pan-Indian projects that blur linguistic lines. For someone like Sonakshi, whose acting chops were often overshadowed by her star lineage, this new phase could be the reset she’s been waiting for.
What’s Next
For now, the countdown is on for Jatadhara’s release next week. Insiders are calling it an “atmospheric supernatural film” rather than a jump-scare thriller, with heavy mythological undertones and stylized visuals. Trade trackers expect it to open big in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, before expanding with dubbed versions in Hindi and Malayalam.
If it works, it’ll be a big win not just for Sonakshi, but also for Prerna Arora, who’s making a comeback as a producer after a few turbulent years away from the spotlight.
But beyond the box office, what stands out right now is Sonakshi’s growing ease with speaking her mind. Whether it’s a supernatural curse on screen or the curse of 14-hour workdays off it, she seems determined to confront both directly, and without the usual Bollywood varnish.
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Sana has been covering film, fame, and everything in between for over a decade. From red carpets to rehab rumors, she brings nuance, wit, and an insider’s edge to every story. When she’s not reporting, she’s probably watching Koffee With Karan reruns or doom-scrolling celebrity IG feeds.
