Actor Priyanshu Painyuli has signed on for his next film titled Pirates. The indie thriller, written and directed by Nishant Sharma, will see Priyanshu step into the gritty world of cybercrime as he takes on the role of a cab driver in Delhi who becomes a hacker. The film also stars Chandan Roy Sanyal and Gagan Arora, and is set to begin shooting next week in Delhi.

Set against the backdrop of a digitally dangerous world, Pirates explores themes of surveillance, morality, and identity in the age of data. The story dives into the life of a hacker whose skills make him both powerful and vulnerable, a grey character navigating high-stakes choices in the shadows of the online underworld.

Speaking about the project, Priyanshu shared, “As the title suggests, the film is dark, edgy, and layered with suspense. I play a hacker, someone operating outside the system, dealing with things most people don’t even know exist. The narrative feels fresh and intense, and the indie energy of the film is something I am truly drawn to.”

He added, “Having worked with ace directors like Vishal Bhardwaj, Vikramaditya Motwane, Navdeep Singh and Raja Menon, I have always felt honoured to collaborate with filmmakers who are masters of their craft. But I also find it incredibly enriching to work with new talent like Nishant, who brings a fresh voice and vision to filmmaking. The next few days in Delhi are going to be a roller coaster, and I can't wait to dive deep into this character.”

Priyanshu is famous for his role as Bhavesh in Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018). He last starred in Pippa (2023) alongside Ishaan Khatter and also in U-Turn (2022) alongside Alaya F. He was also part of the series Mirzapur.