The Kahaani franchise is set for a new instalment, with Yami Gautam stepping into the lead role and director Sujoy Ghosh returning to helm the project, according to a report by Pinkvilla. The film is currently in pre-production, with the team working out details before finalising a shoot schedule.Kahaani 3 will reportedly break from the previous two films by dropping Vidya Balan’s character altogether and introducing a new protagonist and storyline, while staying within the same fictional universe that made the series popular.The original Kahaani hit theatres in 2012, casting Balan as a pregnant woman on a desperate hunt for her husband through the streets of Kolkata, a role that became one of her career-defining performances. A follow-up, Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh, arrived in 2016 with Balan opposite Arjun Rampal in an unrelated case of suspense.For Yami Gautam, the project adds to a run of thriller roles that includes A Thursday and Article 370. No official announcement on casting or timelines has been made yet.