Mumbai: Shahid Kapoor’s upcoming mythological film ‘Ashwatthama: The Saga Continues’ has been put on hold due to budget constraints.
Shahid was roped in to play the titular role in the film which revolves around the life of legendary warrior Ashwatthama.
Produced by Vashu Bhagnani’s production house Pooja Entertainment and Amazon Studios, the film was purportedly Amazon Prime Video’s most ambitious project from India.
Now, according to a report in Mid-Day, the film has been put on hold as the budget has exceeded ₹500 crore.
“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,” revealed an insider from the production team.
“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,” he added.
The film was announced in March and Shahid had already started physical training for the role.
Shahid was last seen in ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya,’ which also featured Kriti Sanon and Dimple Kapadia.
Shahid will next be seen in ‘Deva’, co-starring Pooja Hegde and Kubbra Sait, which will hit the theatres on February 14 next year.