Adbhut premiered on SET Max in September 2023 — nearly three years before its official arrival on JioHotstar on October 9, 2026. That delay wasn’t a misstep. It was the result of a stalled merger between Sony and Zee, which held up distribution for over a year and a half. When the deal fell through, the film found a new home with JioHotstar, where it has since climbed to number one. Sabbir Khan, known for mass entertainers like Heropanti, Baaghi, and Munna Michael, made a sharp pivot with this supernatural psychological thriller. He didn’t just shift genres, he redefined expectations. The film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Diana Penty, and Shreya Dhanwanthary, all of whom were his first choices. He’d worked with Nawaz before on Munna Michael. The chemistry was instant. With the others, he felt an immediate connection during meetings. “You sometimes meet actors and instinctively feel that you’re on the same page,” he said. The shoot was smooth, the camaraderie strong. Even Rohan Mehra, who appears in the film, responded exactly as the script demanded. Adbhut also marked Khan’s second collaboration with the late Vikram Gokhale, following Nikamma. Gokhale recorded dubbing portions while unwell in Pune. Khan sent his team there. “I feel fortunate,” he said. “He was an institution.” Beyond casting, the film’s certification is notable. Horror films typically get an ‘A’ certificate. But Adbhut received a clean U/A rating. No cuts, no edits. Khan attributes it to the film’s focus on narrative and psychology, not jump scares or grotesque imagery. “It’s not excessively dark or scary,” he said. “You can watch it with your family without having to cringe.” He’d conceived the film ahead of the current horror wave, long before studios began chasing the trend. “I was thinking ahead of the curve,” he admitted. When Sony Pictures saw the final cut, they wanted a theatrical release. But post-pandemic box office performance made that risky. After deliberation, the decision was made: stream it. Now, it’s doing well. The feedback? Overwhelmingly positive. “People couldn’t believe that I had made it!” Khan laughed. “If I hadn’t told anybody, they wouldn’t have believed it.” The film may have taken time, but it found its moment. And it’s not just surviving, it’s leading.