Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon last shared a screen in Bhediya; their new reunion is a voice booth, not a film set. The two actors are voicing the lead characters in the Hindi version of Curry Barker’s Hollywood horror hit Obsession, which premieres on The Peacock Hub on JioHotstar on 30 October.
JioHotstar will stream the film in both Hindi and English, and says this is the uncut version reaching Indian audiences for the first time.
Why familiar voices were chosen
Alok Jain, Head – Hindi & English Entertainment Business (Streaming, TV & Studios) at JioStar, framed the Hindi adaptation as part of a wider accessibility push. He said Varun and Kriti were chosen for their “cross-generational appeal” and experience in the horror genre, and described the goal as making sure “languages do not limit access to great stories.”
Kriti Sanon called the project a first for her: she had not previously voiced another actor’s performance. She described the film as “gripping, quirky & twisted” and said the chance to explore an edgier character made the experience both exciting and challenging.
What Obsession is about
The film follows Bear Bailey, a shy music-store employee who struggles to tell his coworker Nikki how he feels. A mysterious wish-granting toy, the One Wish Willow, gives him what he asks for: Nikki loves him more than anything. That wish quickly turns obsessive and violent, and Bear has to undo it before things get worse.
The original English version stars Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette. In the Hindi version, their performances remain intact while Varun and Kriti provide the voices.
The number that makes it matter
- Reported budget: $750,000 (roughly ₹7.5 crore)
- Worldwide gross: over $522 million ($263 million domestic, $253 million international)
- Streaming premiere: 30 October on The Peacock Hub, JioHotstar
The theatrical economics matter because they turn a small horror film into a highly visible streaming title. By reported returns, Obsession has become one of the most profitable films ever made, which helps explain why the Hindi version is being positioned as an event.
Why it matters for Hindi cinema watchers
For Hindi cinema followers, the casting also carries a small irony. Varun and Kriti were last paired in a horror-comedy, Bhediya, whose director Amar Kaushik teased a possible sequel only a day earlier. That speculation resolved into a streaming dub rather than a Bhediya 2 announcement, but it still extends the actors’ association with the genre.
The release is less about translation and more about distribution. Hindi film stars are being used as an entry point for a Hollywood title, a tactic that acknowledges the pull of known voices in a market where subtitled international content still competes for attention.
If familiar actor-led dubs start behaving like launch events, the next test is whether they draw viewers who would otherwise wait for Hindi originals—or simply open a new window for global films that already have momentum.
Source: Hindustan Times
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