Allu Arjun on fence now about Aditya Dhar's 'Ashwatthama': Report
What's the story
A few weeks ago, reports surfaced that Pushpa star Allu Arjun has been approached to play the protagonist in Aditya Dhar's ambitious yet long-delayed project Ashwatthama.
However, a recent report by Bollywood Hungama suggests that the Telugu superstar is not too keen to work on the VFX-heavy project now, especially after seeing the disastrous result of Adipurush, which was also a VFX/CGI-heavy film.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Dhar is known for his debut directorial Uri: The Surgical Strike, and Ashwatthama—his passion project—is slated to be among the most expensive Bollywood ventures with a Rs. 500cr budget!
Earlier, Vicky Kaushal was supposed to lead it, but things didn't fall into place.
Dhar is trying to glue the project together, and approaching a bankable star like Arjun is part of his success strategy.
Arjun's stance
Why Arjun isn't so keen on project now
A source told Bollywood Hungama, "The VFX is a matter of concern now for all Telugu stars. They want to do simple films with filmmakers and trust only Rajamouli on the VFX front."
"Seeing what happened to Adipurush, Allu Arjun is now in two minds to trust a relatively new director with such an ambitious subject. He might decide against doing Ashwatthama now."
His final call
Telugu star might take final call soon
The source further shed light on Arjun's thought process, "Ashwatthama is a risky film, and Allu isn't sure if he is willing to invest so much time in an outcome that he would know two years from now."
"Hence, it's better to be cautious than sorry. He will take a final call on Ashwatthama soon, but it seems like he isn't inclined toward it."
The project
Did you see first poster of the film yet?
The project was announced as a sci-fi superhero flick with a tinge of Hindu mythology since Ashwatthama is an immortal character who features in Mahabharata.
Back in 2021, Kaushal had shared the movie's first poster too and said that he was "overwhelmed" and "ecstatic" to be part of The Immortal Ashwatthama.
Dhar, Ronnie Screwvala, and Jio Studios will co-produce the film, per reports.