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Following the huge success of Uri: The Surgical Strike, Vicky Kaushal, Aditya Dhar, and Ronnie Screwvala announced a high-budget sci-fi film, The Immortal Ashwatthama in January 2021. However, the project was soon put on the backburner due to budget constraints, and since then it has gone through a series of ups and downs. Although Aditya has consistently been working on making his dream project a reality, the film has undergone numerous casting and budgetary changes over the past two years. Vicky Kaushal is no longer a part of the film, while Ronnie Screwvala has also backed out due to the immense budget required for it. However, the director’s relentless efforts seem to be finally paying off, as we hear the film is back on track and might go on floors this year with a new cast and studio.
Peepingmoon.com has exclusively learned that Aditya Dhar is now in talks with Ranveer Singh for his passion project, The Immortal Ashwatthama. The filmmaker has approached the Bajirao Mastani actor to play the mythological character of Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya, who was cursed with immortality, in this high-concept visual spectacle, while Jio Studios has come aboard to back it. "Aditya Dhar and Ranveer have been discussing this project for months, and talks are now in an advanced stage. It's a big theatrical project about a larger-than-life character, and Ranveer doesn't want to pass up the opportunity to play such a legendary role. He has given his nod and is expected to sign on the dotted line as soon as all the formalities are completed," a source close to the development told us.
Industry sources have confirmed Ranveer's casting talks, though he hasn't yet been officially locked in. "The Immortal Ashwatthama is Aditya Dhar’s dream project, and he has big ambitions for this film. With Jio Studios putting money into the project and Ranveer Singh likely to headline the enormous cast, the director is all fired up to create a visual spectacle that audiences across India have never seen before. Aditya has been working on the script and pre-production for months and will kick-off shooting around October this year," a source close to the development told us. Jio Studios has sanctioned a humongous budget for this sci-fi superhero film, and the plan is to mount it on a grand scale in various countries, with teams from across the world coming aboard for action and visuals.
Described as a superhero action film set in modern times with roots in the Mahabharata, The Immortal Ashwatthama will feature Ranveer Singh exploring a completely new space outfitted with cutting-edge technology. The young Bollywood star will undergo a major physical transformation and will be trained in various forms of martial arts, sword fighting, and archery techniques to get into the skin of his mythological character. The South Indian actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu is said to be paired opposite Ranveer, however, her casting is also yet to be confirmed. The film is also expected to feature a massive ensemble cast alongside the leading stars, though details about them are still being withheld.
If all goes well, The Immortal Ashwatthama will be Ranveer Singh’s next film after Karan Johar’s upcoming Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, which releases in theatres on July 28, 2023. The actor is also in talks for several other projects, including the Shaktiman trilogy, but he hasn’t given his nod to any of them yet. Ranveer will start shooting for The Immortal Ashwatthama after finishing his cameo sequence in Rohit Shetty’s Singham 3, starring Ajay Devgn. Stay tuned to Peepingmoon for more updates on this epic visual extravaganza.
