John Abraham to play Duryodhana in Arun Gopalan’s next film - Reports

At the beginning of this month, reports surfaced that John Abraham is reviving the ‘Force’ franchise with Bhav Dhulia as the director. Following this, Meenakshi Chaudhary was confirmed as the female lead, and the team plans to start shooting by the end of 2026. Reportedly, John is now in talks with the director of ‘Tehran’ for a new project set during the Mahabharata era.

John Abraham was impressed by Arun Gopalan’s modern Mahabharata script
According to Pinkvilla, John has been discussing a film set against the backdrop of the Mahabharata but in the modern era. Director Arun Gopalan has developed a script of Mahabharata in the modern era, and John is bowled over by the screenplay and vision that Arun has to adapt the greatest story of all time in modern times. The actor is expected to play the part of Duryodhana in this film. The film is tentatively titled ‘Duryodhana’, and will roll in the middle of 2026. It will be produced by John and Sandeep Leyzell, and the pre-production work will begin by early next year, with the intent to go on floors around June 2026.



John Abraham focuses on high-concept action filmsReportedly, Abraham is reviewing several scripts simultaneously and developing some projects under his own production banner. He is focusing on high-concept action films that aim to offer fresh experiences to cinema audiences. More details about his upcoming film slate will be shared in due course.

John Abraham and Arun Gopalan’s success with ‘Tehran’
John and Arun’s film ‘Tehran’ recently debuted on digital platforms, receiving positive feedback from viewers. Their forthcoming film is planned for a big-screen release. Additionally, John is starring in a Rakesh Maria biopic directed by Rohit Shetty, which is expected to release in 2026.
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