The Immortal Ashwatthama was India’s biggest film before Ramayana: Why was Aditya Dhar’s magnum opus shelved?
Ranbir Kapoor and Yash’s ‘Ramayana’ has become the talk of the town ever since Nitesh Tiwari and Namit Malhotra shared the first look of their mythological movie. Made with a whopping budget of Rs 900 crores, Ramayana has been termed as India’s biggest film at the moment. But do you know Aditya Dhar, who is once again in the limelight with the ‘Dhurandhar’ first look release, was making India’s biggest film, 5 years ago? Moreover, the director had not only announced the film title and lead actor but had also shared the posters of the film. But unfortunately, the film was shelved.
Yes! We are talking about ‘The Immortal Ashwatthama’, Aditya Dhar’s ambitious project that was shelved because ‘India wasn’t ready at that time’. For those who don’t know, after Uri: The Surgical Strike (debut film), Aditya worked on the story of Ashwatthama. Along with two posters, the director had also announced that he would collaborate with his first actor, Vicky Kaushal, once again for this film. Moreover, Vicky had also started prep for the film and had gained weight for the role, but then the unthinkable happened.
‘The Immortal Ashwatthama’ was initially developed with Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies but was later taken over by Jio Studios. However, after both the production house backed out to put in a huge budget, the film was abandoned. During the promotions of his wife Yami Gautam’s film Article 370, Dhar clarified that the Indian film business at that time could not afford the high-end visual effects that were envisioned. He added that the technology required to provide the intended visual effects was not yet widely accessible or reasonably priced in India.
But do you know the budget that Dhar wanted for his magnum opus was Rs 500 crores? It’s the same budget as Om Raut’s ‘Adipurush’. Talking of big-budget movies, SS Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’ was made with a production cost of Rs 550 crores. Rajinikanth‘s ‘2.0’ was made with Rs 570 crores. Nag Ashwin’s ambitious project was made with an even bigger budget than these films. ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ featuring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan and Amitabh Bachchan, cost Rs 600 crores.
However, ‘Ramayana’ is a bit different from these films. Not only is it being made with the biggest production cost of all time, in Indian films’ history, but the film, being made in two parts, will also mark several significant collaborations. The music of ‘Ramayana’ is being composed by Academy Award winners: AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer. For those who don’t know, Zimmer gave the music of several acclaimed films like ‘Interstellar’, ‘Inception’, ‘The Lion King’ and latest film ‘F1’.
On the other hand, the film is being directed by Nitesh Tiwari, yes, the same filmmaker who came up with Dangal and the rest is history. Aamir Khan starrer not only broke several records but also created some. It is still the most-watched Indian film in China. On the other hand, the film is backed by Namit Malhotra’s DNEG. The British-Indian visual effects, computer animation and stereo conversion studio that has collaborated with several iconic films like ‘Blade Runner 2049’, ‘Tenet’ and the two ‘Dune’ movies. DNEG has won eight Oscars overall, including seven for Best Visual Effects over the past ten years.
However, in an era where most Pan India films are being made with a minimum of Rs 500 crore budget, it feels sad to think that Aditya Dhar was rejected for a project with immense potential, with the same ask. He might have even felt worse when, in 2024, Shahid Kapoor‘s Aswatthama: The Saga Continues was announced. The film, which was being directed by Sachin Ravi, might also be in deep waters as the project is backed by Jackky Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment, the same production house which suffered a big blow with the failure of the 2024 film, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.
But it’s not all bad for Aditya Dhar. The director, who might have been wounded with his dream project being shelved, has put in all his fury and creative forces in the upcoming film ‘Dhurandhar’. The film is not only a big comeback opportunity for the director but also for Ranveer Singh, who has stayed away from the big screen for more than two years. Despite proving his versatility and acting calibre, the actor was kind of written off after the back-to-back failures of 83, Jayeshbhai Jordaar and Cirkus. Despite giving a hit with Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, the actor has had some tough days.
But if what we saw in ‘Dhurandhar’s first look teaser is just a first look, then the film looks nothing less than an explosive watch. While Aditya Dhar could not complete his dream project, it will be interesting to see if Ranveer Singh starrer could turn out to be his magnum opus at the box office.
LikeLike
