Priyanka Chopra Jonas Announces Ventilator 2, Reuniting with Director Rajesh Mapuskar
Priyanka Chopra Jonas is returning to a story that helped define the early years of her career as a producer. The actor has announced Ventilator 2, a sequel to the acclaimed 2016 Marathi film, with production planned under her banner, Purple Pebble Pictures. Filmmaker Rajesh Mapuskar, who wrote and directed the original, is also set to return as the sequel’s writer and director.
Scheduled for release in 2027, the new film is still being developed, and its cast and plot details have not yet been disclosed. The announcement nevertheless offers an early look at a project rooted in both Marathi cinema and Priyanka’s broader ambition to support distinctive stories across languages.
A Decade After the Original, the Story Continues
Priyanka shared the news on Instagram, reflecting on the significance of the first Ventilator and the goals behind establishing Purple Pebble Pictures. In her post, she described the film as one of the company’s important early projects and said the team was returning to it a decade later with a renewed perspective.
“10 years ago, with @purplepebblepictures, I decided I want to tell stories that mean something. Ventilator was one of those very important stories to us at the company. A decade later, we’re coming back to it, with so much more…” she wrote.
The message positions Ventilator 2 as more than a routine follow-up. For the production house, it marks a return to a film that helped establish its interest in emotionally grounded storytelling. For audiences, the decade-long gap raises an intriguing question: how might the characters, family dynamics and social context of the original evolve in a new chapter?
Priyanka Chopra, Madhu Chopra and Rajesh Mapuskar to Produce
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Dr Madhu Chopra and Rajesh Mapuskar will produce the sequel through Purple Pebble Pictures and Magij Pictures. The creative reunion brings together the producer and filmmaker behind the original, giving the project continuity while leaving room for a fresh story.
Mapuskar’s return is particularly notable. His work on the first film helped shape its balance of humour, family drama and emotional reflection. Having the original director back may allow the sequel to preserve the intimate tone that audiences associated with Ventilator, even as it explores a new set of circumstances.
For now, the production team has not confirmed whether actors from the 2016 film will return. Nor has it revealed whether the sequel will follow the same family or introduce a new group of characters. Those details are likely to become clearer as the film moves closer to production.
Why the First Ventilator Connected with Audiences
Released in 2016, the Marathi-language film centred on the Kamerkar family, whose members gather at a hospital shortly before Ganesh Chaturthi. Their elderly relative has been placed on a ventilator, and the crisis brings relatives together—along with old disagreements, unspoken feelings and competing ideas about family responsibility.
The hospital setting gave the story a natural pressure point, but the film’s appeal came from its wider portrait of family life. It explored generational differences, complicated relationships and the way a crisis can expose long-standing tensions. Moments of comedy softened the heavier themes, allowing the film to move between laughter and emotion without losing its sense of realism.
That combination helped Ventilator earn recognition beyond its home audience. The film won three National Film Awards: Best Director for Mapuskar, Best Editing and Best Sound Mixing. The honours highlighted not only its performances and storytelling but also the craft behind its carefully paced, ensemble-driven narrative.
Purple Pebble Pictures’ Multilingual Film Journey
Founded by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Purple Pebble Pictures has supported films in several languages and across a range of genres. Its projects include Pahuna: The Little Visitors, Paani, The Sky Is Pink, The White Tiger, Firebrand, To Kill a Tiger and Anuja.
The company’s slate reflects an interest in stories that may be rooted in a particular community or culture while still speaking to wider audiences. Returning to Ventilator fits that approach: the original drew on the rhythms of a Marathi family and festival, yet its themes of care, conflict and belonging were broadly relatable.
In the wider Bollywood and Indian film landscape, the announcement also underscores the growing visibility of regional-language cinema. Marathi films have developed a strong identity through stories that are locally grounded but accessible to viewers across India. A sequel backed by a producer with an international profile could bring renewed attention to the original film and to Marathi storytelling more broadly.
What to Expect from Ventilator 2
With a 2027 release planned, Ventilator 2 remains in its early stages. No official information has been shared about filming dates, casting, music or the storyline. The title suggests a direct connection to the original, but the creative team has yet to explain whether the sequel will continue the Kamerkar family’s story or approach the same themes through a different narrative.
That uncertainty leaves room for several possibilities. A new chapter could revisit the family years later, examine how relationships have changed, or tell a separate story shaped by another family gathering and crisis. Whatever direction the filmmakers choose, the challenge will be to honour the first film’s emotional honesty while giving the sequel a clear reason to exist in its own right.
For now, fans can look forward to the reunion of Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Rajesh Mapuskar on a project with a meaningful place in the producer’s filmography. More casting and story updates are expected as development progresses. The announcement also arrives as the original Ventilator continues to find new life, including through a Gujarati stage adaptation—evidence of the story’s lasting appeal across formats and audiences.
