Sonam Kapoor
| Photo Credit: ANI

Sonam Kapoor says she will start working on her next feature film, an adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s novel “Battle for Bittora”, in 2024.

Sonam’s sister, producer Rhea Kapoor, had bought rights to the 2010 book of the same name. The film will be made under their banner Anil Kapoor Films Company.

Published in 2010, “Battle for Bittora” follows the story of an animation expert, who finds herself contesting elections in Bittora opposite an ex-royal.

“I’m going to do ‘Battle for Bittora’ next year, finally. That’s a beloved character but I feel a lot of girls might have read the book. I feel a lot of girls, maybe of our generation know (about the book), but I don’t think the younger generation knows the character as much. So, we have the advantage of that,” Sonam said on the sidelines of Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival’s market initiative ‘Word to Screen’.

Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, who starred with Sonam in 2014’s “Khoobsurat”, was initially set to play the male lead in the story. Fawad last appeared in Hindi film “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” which ran into trouble over his identity as a Pakistani actor.

Sonam said the team is looking for another actor as well as a director to helm the project.

“The script is done. We are looking for an actor and the director is also not locked in yet. Only the producer and female lead is (locked),” the 38-year-old actor said.

Asked whether Fawad together in the movie as their pairing in “Khoobsurat” was a hit, Sonam replied, “Yes, I know. We miss him obviously. But I think we will get someone equally amazing and equally beautiful to look at.”

The upcoming film marks the second collaboration between Sonam and Chauhan, post her 2019 adaptation of author’s novel “The Zoya Factor”.

The movie, directed by Abhishek Sharma, featured Sonam and Dulquer Salmaan.