The team behind hit 2019 Indian war movie “Uri: The Surgical Strike” has reunited for sci-fi film “The Immortal Ashwatthama.”
Based on a character from Indian mythological epic “The Mahabharata,” “Ashwatthama” is billed as a futuristic science fiction VFX-laden extravaganza and has been in development for several months. Veteran producer and former Disney India head Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP, director Aditya Dhar and leading man Vicky Kaushal reprise their respective functions from “Uri.”
“Uri,” Dhar’s debut, grossed some $50 million worldwide. It won several accolades at India’s national film awards, including best director for Dhar and best actor for Kaushal.
“Every film has its own journey, however, when the team of a national award winning and blockbuster film that has been as loved as ‘Uri’ comes together, the expectations are bound to be high,” said Screwvala. “Language is not a barrier for this movie. I can’t wait to see Aditya’s vision translate to this spectacle on screen. I have to say this is by far the most ambitious movie I have attempted and we would love to see this one reach out to the widest audiences in India and around the world.”
“We are working hard to create a visual spectacle that audiences across India would have never seen before. I promise, this would not just be a film, but an experience,” said Dhar. “I am taking this film as a responsibility of telling this epic story, in the way it is meant to be told, and I hope, audiences shower the same love to ‘Ashwatthama,’ as they did to ‘Uri’.” “Ashwatthama” will roll later this year, but a start date has not been disclosed.
“ ‘Ashwatthama’ is Aditya’s dream project and it required the backing of a visionary like Ronnie to bring this spectacle to audiences,” said Kaushal. “It’s going to be a new space for me as an actor, exploring the newest form of technology alongside acting. Can’t wait to start the journey soon with this wonderful team.”
Upcoming projects from RSVP include romantic film “Sitara“, war drama “Pippa,” a series adaptation of Bhopal gas tragedy book “Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World’s Deadliest Industrial Disaster,” and sports film “Rashmi Rocket.”