After being in the works for five years and going through a change of director along the way, Kartik Aaryan headliner Captain India has finally gone on floors. The film is being shot in London and is being helmed by Chak De! India (2007) and Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009) director Shimit Amin.

Shimit began filming from September 1, 2026 and shared a handwritten note for the team on September 4, thanking them for staying with the project through its difficult phases. He wrote about the team carrying the responsibility of making a good film and described their energy as “magical.” Amin also said he believed they were the best team in the world and that he was proud of everyone involved. This note was shared on social media by Kartik Aaryan, along with a photograph from the set, and the caption, “Ready to fly with the Maverick #ShimitAmin #CaptainIndia (sic).”

Captain India was originally announced in 2021. Then Hansal Mehta was roped in as its director. Kartik was set to play an Indian Air Force pilot who leads a rescue mission, with the story inspired by one of India’s major humanitarian evacuation operations. However, the film soon ran into controversy when roducer Subhash Kale, who was associated with Operation Yemen, had alleged that Captain India was similar to his project, which was based on the 2015 Operation Raahat in Yemen. The matter was eventually resolved after Kale said he had spoken to Captain India’s producer Harman Baweja and that there had been confusion regarding the timelines.

The project later underwent another major change when Shimit replaced Hansal Mehta as director. This marks Shimit’s return to film direction after over a decade.

The film stars Kartik alongside Parvathy Thiruvothu and Manish Chaudhary. Captain India is scheduled to release on August 13, 2027.