Prime Video’s upcoming coming-of-age romantic comedy Don’t Be Shy is headlined by four debutants — Aarushi Bajaj, Piyush Khati, Bianca Arora, and Ansh Duggal — all making their acting debuts under the production banner of Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt.
The film, written and directed by first-time filmmaker Sreeti Mukerji, is set to premiere worldwide on Prime Video on September 25, 2026, in Hindi with English subtitles. It will be available in India and more than 240 countries and territories.
Meet the Lead Cast
Aarushi Bajaj plays the central character, Shyamili ‘Shy’ Das, a 20-year-old woman who believes she has her entire life mapped out. Bajaj, who was born and brought up in Pune, moved to Mumbai to study Liberal Arts at NMIMS. She began her career with commercials and made her screen debut with the web series Aarya in 2023. She later appeared in Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders in 2025.
Piyush Khati portrays Mayank Jhunjhunwalla, Shy’s wealthy and popular boyfriend whom she considers her ticket to a better life. Khati’s character is described as the rich charmer at the center of a messy love triangle.
Bianca Arora plays Tara, a free-spirited presence who arrives at Shy’s college and complicates the equation. According to the film’s official synopsis, Tara could have been written as the predictable other girl, but the film makes a more refreshing choice, with the relationship between Shy and Tara gradually becoming the film’s emotional center.
Ansh Duggal plays Dhruv, Shy’s estranged childhood friend who carries deeper emotional feelings for her. Duggal began his entertainment career with modeling and advertising before appearing in music videos.
Supporting Cast and Production
The supporting cast includes Kunaal Roy Kapur as Mr Q, Shy’s guidance counsellor, Neha Dhupia as Nandini Verma, the woman Shy idolises, filmmaker Anurag Basu as Shy’s father, and Anju Alva Naik as Shy’s mother.
Don’t Be Shy is produced by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt under their banner Eternal Sunshine Productions, with Grishma Shah and Vikesh Bhutani serving as co-producers. The film marks Alia Bhatt’s first feature film production collaboration with Prime Video.
Music for the film has been composed by Ram Sampath. The runtime is 2 hours and 28 minutes.
Trailer Launch and Statements
The official trailer was unveiled on September 11, 2026, at an event in Mumbai. The 2-minute-32-second trailer introduces Shy’s journey as her carefully planned life unravels, forcing her to navigate the uncertainty of growing up.
Sharing the trailer on social media, Alia Bhatt described the film as being all about ‘first loves. best friends. heartbreaks. bad decisions. all the things that make growing up what it is.’
Asked at the trailer launch whether she had ever considered playing a role in the film herself, Alia Bhatt said, ‘No, I don’t think I ever felt that.’ She added that producing brings its own reward, since it involves shaping a world and a story rather than just performing in one.
In a joint statement, Alia and Shaheen Bhatt said, ‘Don’t Be Shy has been extremely special to us from the very beginning, and we couldn’t be prouder to see it come to life. It captures something so honest about being young — the friendships that shape you, the first loves that change you, the heartbreaks that stay with you, and the process of gradually figuring out who you are. What excites us most is this brilliant young cast; their energy, vulnerability, and chemistry are magnetic, and they bring such life and honesty to these characters. We can’t wait for audiences in India and around the world to meet Shy and get swept into her wonderful, chaotic world.’
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Director Sreeti Mukerji said, ‘Don’t Be Shy came from a place of missing the movies I watched growing up — movies I still return to when I want to feel safe, comforted, and entertained. This is my tribute to that time in our lives, when we’re on the brink of adulthood but still young in so many ways.’
Lead actor Aarushi Bajaj said, ‘Stepping into Shy’s shoes pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way. Playing the role of Shy also came with a sense of responsibility — I wanted to give her everything I had and do justice to her journey.’
Nikhil Madhok, Director and Head of Originals, Prime Video (SVOD) and Amazon MGM Studios India, said, ‘Don’t Be Shy is one of our most cherished films, and we’re thrilled to finally announce its global streaming premiere. This film introduces four extraordinary new actors — Aarushi, Ansh, Bianca, and Piyush — who bring an incredible freshness and authenticity to their roles. Led by Sreeti Mukerji and shaped by the creative vision of Alia and Shaheen Bhatt, Don’t Be Shy is a joyful, heartfelt celebration of friendship, love, and the beautifully messy journey of growing up. We can’t wait for audiences to immerse themselves in Shy’s world.’
Plot Overview
The story follows Shyamili ‘Shy’ Das, who is perpetually angry and ashamed of not being rich. She resents her parents for happily accepting their middle-class fate and believes she deserves pretty privilege. Confident that her wealthy boyfriend Mayank is her ticket to a better life, she is thrown when he dumps her, forcing her to rethink her carefully mapped-out future.
Set in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the film borrows from the campus capers of that era. Shy builds a fake identity in her college, claiming to belong to a super-rich family from Dubai. When her plans collapse, she sets out on a path of revenge and eventually crosses paths with Mayank’s new girlfriend, Tara. The film explores first love, heartbreak, friendship, and the questionable decisions that often come with growing up.
The film also features a turtle, according to promotional materials released ahead of the premiere.
Premiere and Reception
A special screening of Don’t Be Shy was held in Mumbai on September 24, 2026. The event brought together the Bhatt and Kapoor families, with Ranbir Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Soni Razdan, and Mahesh Bhatt joining Alia and Shaheen Bhatt at the premiere. Several other celebrities, including Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Ayan Mukerji, Sharvari Wagh, and Samay Raina, also attended the screening.
Early reviews of the film have been mixed. The Times of India gave it a rating of 3 out of 5, calling it ‘a predictable but pleasant Mean Girl romcom with promising new faces.’ The review noted that ‘despite the tantrums and outward brattish eccentricities of her character, Aarushi Bajaj beautifully brings out Shy’s underlying fears, insecurities and hopes.’
NDTV gave the film 2.5 stars, describing it as ‘colourful, occasionally funny and carried by a promising young ensemble, but its predictable storytelling and uneven pacing keep it from becoming the memorable coming-of-age film it clearly wants to be.’
Hindustan Times awarded 2 stars, writing that ‘this teenybopper film doesn’t quite know how to fully embrace its genre.’ The review added that ‘Director Sreeti Mukerji, who also writes the film, has little to offer beyond the most basic teenage tropes.’
Don’t Be Shy premieres globally on Prime Video on September 25, 2026, in Hindi with English subtitles.