Mumbai | Production banner Vishesh Films on Tuesday announced that the sequel to the 2007 cult romantic thriller "Awarapan" will arrive in cinemas on August 14.

Described as an action drama about "one man's fight for love, death and redemption," "Awarapan 2" brings back Emraan Hashmi as Shivam, the brooding protagonist of the original, alongside Disha Patani, who joins the franchise for the first time.

The film is directed by Nitin Kakkar, known for "Filmistan," and written by Bilal Siddiqui of "Ba***ds of Bollywood" fame. It is produced by Vishesh Bhatt and is currently in its final leg of production in Mumbai.

Producer Vishesh Bhatt said the project was rooted in the emotional legacy of the original.

"'Awarapan' is an emotion so large that it's meant for the big screen. It also presents exotic settings and large-scale sequences but fundamentally it's built on our core principles of layered storytelling with powerful characters and rich music," he said.

Bhatt added that Hashmi connected deeply with the material.

"Emraan felt the angst of Shivam so deeply that he stepped into character in a heartbeat. And with Disha Patani joining us, the world of the film opened up to new possibilities," he said.

The sequel had earlier been announced for an April 3 release before being pushed to the Independence Day window.

The film is being developed as a musical, intense love story, with two recreated songs from the original album said to be among its major highlights.

The original "Awarapan," directed by Mohit Suri, had gained cult status over the years, particularly for its soundtrack, which featured tracks such as "Toh Phir Aao" and "Tera Mera Rishta"