Sources say Amazon’s ambitious action fare Ashwatthama, led by Shahid Kapoor, put on hold due to budget constraints and logistical issues
Shahid Kapoor
In March, Amazon Prime Video had announced the mythological action film, Ashwatthama: The Saga Continues, with much fanfare at its event. The Shahid Kapoor-starrer, to be helmed by Kannada filmmaker Sachin B Ravi, was designed to be one of the streaming giant’s most ambitious productions from India. However, eight months on, we’ve heard that the project has been put on hold due to budget constraints and logistical challenges.
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Sources close to Ashwatthama, which was being produced by Vashu Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment along with Amazon Studios, reveal that its budget was initially pegged at over Rs 500 crore. Apparently, the budget began to balloon as pre-production progressed. An insider from the production team shared, “The project’s scale was enormous. The idea was to create something that could rival international fantasy-action films. Ashwatthama was supposed to be shot across multiple countries. But as we began working out the logistics and coordinating shoots across international locations, it became clear that staying within budget would be a serious challenge. Pooja Entertainment’s debt became another big factor.”
Kapoor had begun his physical training for the film, which would be set in the present day, with the narrative blending in mythological themes inspired by the legendary warrior, Ashwatthama, from the Mahabharata. The actor is now said to be focusing on Vishal Bhardwaj’s film instead. A trade insider said, “Given the current state of the market, studios are being cautious about green-lighting mega-budget films. A project like Ashwatthama comes with a lot of risk.” mid-day reached out to Bhagnani, who didn’t respond till press time.
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