Filmmaker Anup Singh, the director behind the acclaimed dramas Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost and The Song of Scorpions, has set his next project in Mumbai. The new film, titled Lasya: The Gentle Dance, marks Singh’s return to the screen with a story that, per the production details, finds him working within the Hollywood industry framework.
Singh, who also holds a credit on the project as part of its cast, has not yet revealed a release date, runtime, or specific genre for the feature. The project is currently in development, with details of its narrative and production timeline remaining under wraps. What is known is that Lasya: The Gentle Dance will be rooted in the Indian metropolis, a shift from the Punjab-set landscapes of his earlier works.
The announcement arrives as Singh continues to build a reputation for intensely atmospheric, character-driven cinema. His 2013 film Qissa told the story of a man desperate for a male heir, starring Irrfan Khan and Tisca Chopra, and earned widespread festival attention for its haunting exploration of identity and patriarchal grief. He followed that with The Song of Scorpions in 2017, a stark, poetic tale of a woman in the Rajasthan desert, featuring Golshifteh Farahani and again proving his eye for visual storytelling that borders on the mythic.
With Lasya: The Gentle Dance, Singh appears to be moving to an urban setting, and the title itself suggests a focus on grace and subtlety - Lasya refers to a delicate, feminine form of dance in Indian classical tradition, often associated with elegance and emotional expression. The choice of Mumbai as a backdrop signals a probable departure from the rural and desert milieus that defined his previous features, though the director’s signature interest in interiority and cultural tension is likely to remain intact.
The project carries the “Hollywood” industry label in its official metadata, which indicates that the film may be produced or financed through American industry channels, even as it centers on an Indian city and likely Indian characters. This cross-continental arrangement aligns with Singh’s existing international footprint; his films have frequently premiered at major global festivals and attracted casts from multiple countries.
For audiences who have followed Singh’s career, the news of a new feature is notable, as his output has been measured and deliberate. He has often worked with a small, trusted creative circle, and his films tend to prioritize mood and philosophical weight over conventional plotting. Lasya: The Gentle Dance is expected to continue that approach, even as it navigates the unfamiliar terrain of a modern Indian metropolis.
The director’s past work has not been box-office driven, but rather critically driven, with Qissa earning particular praise for its bold narrative choices and its challenge to traditional gender norms. In that film, a Sikh patriarch, haunted by the daughter he refuses to accept, raises her as a boy; the story spirals into ghostly tragedy. The Song of Scorpions similarly dealt with female resilience and the cost of betrayal, set against a stark, unforgiving landscape.
Singh’s cinematic language is often described as painterly, with a strong reliance on composition and natural light. His characters tend to speak in sparse, loaded dialogue, leaving much of the emotional weight to gesture and silence. It remains to be seen how that style adapts to the chaos of Mumbai, a city of density, noise, and rapid movement - an environment that could offer a striking contrast to his usual stillness.
The announcement was made exclusively, and no further details about the screenplay, producer, or intended production start have been disclosed at this time. Given the director’s history, it is plausible that Lasya: The Gentle Dance will continue his exploration of female subjectivity, cultural memory, and the lingering weight of the past, but until official synopsis information emerges, those remain educated guesses among observers.
As of today, August 29, 2026, the project exists primarily as a statement of intent. Singh has consistently taken years between features, suggesting that Lasya may not arrive in theaters or on streaming platforms until well into the next production cycle. Still, for those who value ambitious, art-house cinema, the mere confirmation of a new Anup Singh film is reason to take note.
The choice to situate the film in Mumbai also raises questions about language and casting, though neither has been confirmed. Singh has previously worked across Hindi and Punjabi-language settings, and his films have often featured actors from the Indian subcontinent alongside international talent. With the Hollywood industry tag attached, it is possible that Lasya could see a wider release footprint than his earlier works, potentially positioning it for U.S. distribution in a way that his past films only partially achieved.
For now, the film remains a quiet promise - a gentle dance, as its title suggests, in a city that rarely stops moving. Fans of the director will wait for more concrete details, but the announcement alone signals that Singh is again ready to step behind the camera, bringing his particular brand of lyrical, melancholic storytelling to new ground.
Source: Variety