New Delhi: Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani is returning to work with his son, Vir, for the first time in two decades in the upcoming comedy series, Pritam & Pedro. Their last collaboration was Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), where Vir appeared as a young version of Arshad Warsi’s character, Circuit. Vir now shares the screen with Warsi again in Pritam & Pedro, marking his digital debut as a tech-savvy police officer.
The series, produced by Rajkumar Hirani and directed by Avinash Arun, also stars Vikrant Massey and is set to premiere on JioHotstar on 3 July.
At the trailer launch, Warsi spoke about how he has seen Vir grow both on and off set.
“Vir is like a son to me; he was a baby who was pushed into taking a photo with me. Never thought that this kid and I would be working together, so it’s a wonderful, warm feeling. He’s special to me, not just another actor. I really look out for him; it’s like if my son was working with me, this is how it would be,” Warsi said.
New star kid on the block
Unlike other star kids, Vir has largely stayed away from the party-and-premiere circuit, quietly building his craft instead.
Long before Pritam & Pedro put him in the spotlight, he had already been working steadily behind the scenes.
He trained formally at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, giving him a professional grounding in acting before he entered the Indian entertainment industry.
Vir made his stage debut in Letters of Suresh, directed by theatre veteran Feroz Abbas Khan, a demanding solo production built around a 35-minute monologue. Vir was just 19 when he took on the role, and it earned him praise for his sincerity and emotional depth. Khan has since said that he expects Vir’s career to extend well beyond this one performance.
Vir’s interest in filmmaking predates his acting career. He began making short films as a teenager, writing and directing Return Gift at age 14, and later worked as a cinematographer on the short Superman Pagdi Nahin Pehenta Kya?
He also assisted his father on the Sanjay Dutt biopic Sanju (2018), working with the assistant directors and handling the clapperboard on set.
As a child actor, he appeared in a handful of earlier projects, including Yoon Hota Toh Kya Hota (2006), Apna Apna Andaz (2019), Doosri Kaksha (2019), and The Doctor Will See You Now (2019).
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‘No favouritism’
According to Rajkumar, Vir’s casting in Pritam & Pedro had nothing to do with nepotism. Vir wasn’t part of the original plan for the series; he was in London studying when casting began. Upon his return, Vir learned the team was searching for an actor for the tech-geek role. He approached the production office himself rather than going through his father.
The part was initially meant for Vikrant Massey, who ultimately moved to playing the show’s antagonist, opening up the role of the young cybercrime-solving officer.
After observing casting discussions at home and at the office, Vir expressed interest in the role. But his father set the ground rules immediately.
“I told him, ‘If you want to audition for it, do it. Meet Avinash Arun, and convince him because he is directing it. I can’t impose myself even if it’s my film; you have to audition. Don’t think you’ll get it just because you are my son,” Rajkumar said.
Arun reportedly went to watch Vir’s performance in Letters of Suresh to assess his acting range. Vir also shot dozens of self-made scenes to make his case. After reviewing his stage work and audition material, Arun cast him in the role.
Beyond Pritam and Pedro, Vir is set to make his theatrical film debut in Lagan Laagii Re (2026), a small-town romantic drama produced by Hansal Mehta.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)