Big and breaking Bollywood news is that Shahid Kapoor is slated to play the great warrior Ashwatthama in Pooja Entertainment’s untitled mythological extravaganza. It is not announced as yet. But PeepingMoon.com exclusively learned that the film is based on the Hindu epic Mahabharata and depicts the fascinating and tragic tale of Guru Dronacharya’s son, Ashwatthama, who was said to be an egotistical, hotheaded, but skilled warrior who had received the boon of immortality from Lord Shiva himself.

“Vashu Bhagnani and Jackky Bhagnani have been developing this ambitious project since early this year and are determined to create a visual spectacle that promises audiences a cinematic experience like never seen before in Indian cinema. It will be mounted on a humongous scale with a global VFX team and an ensemble cast comprising actors from across the Indian film industry. Shahid is already signed on and will undergo intense physical training to embody the character of Ashwatthama,” an industry source told PeepingMoon.com.

The film is currently in the scripting stage and is expected to go on floors around August 2024. Kannada filmmaker Sachin Ravi, known for directing Rakshit Shetty’s action adventure, Avane Srimannarayana (2019), has been entrusted with the directorial responsibilities, and he has already delved into the film's research and preparation. The other specific details, however, have still been kept under wraps.

 This development about a new movie on Ashwatthama comes to the surface months after Uri: The Surgical Strike director Aditya Dhar put his ambitious project, Immortal of Ashwatthama, on hold due to budget constraints. Dhar had been working on the project for the past four years and initially intended to cast Vicky Kaushal as Ashwatthama, with Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies as producer. However, the producer later backed out, citing that the project was too ambitious to undertake at this time of economic uncertainty. The film then went to multiple producers and superstars, only to be put on the backburner this year. Aditya Dhar has now moved on to a different project, with the intention of reviving Ashwatthama at a later date.

Shahid has had a gratifying 2023. The Kabir Singh star kicked off the year with Raj & DK’s Amazon Prime series Farzi and followed it with Ali Abbas Zafar's action thriller, Bloody Daddy. Both OTT projects garnered immense appreciation from audiences and critics alike, making it an eventful year for Shahid despite the absence of any theatrical releases. Up next, he is set to star in Dinesh Vijan’s untitled robot rom-com alongside Kriti Sanon, and Siddharth Roy Kapur’s cop thriller with Pooja Hegde, both scheduled for release next year.