NEW DELHI, MARCH 05 (ONLINE): The highly anticipated collaboration between Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and Tamil filmmaker Atlee Kumar is on hold due to casting issues and logistical challenges while another report claims with Salman Khan alone the budget of Rs 650 crore can’t be justified. The project, a grand-scale period drama, initially aimed to feature Tamil megastars Rajinikanth or Kamal Haasan alongside Khan. Atlee has now shifted focus to a new venture with Telugu superstar Allu Arjun.
The Rise and Fall of Atlee and Salman Khan’s Mega-Budget Pan-India Spectacle
For over a year, Bollywood and South Indian cinema enthusiasts have been buzzing with excitement over a potential mega-budget collaboration between celebrated Tamil filmmaker Atlee Kumar and Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. The film, which was expected to be a grand-scale period drama with a reincarnation theme, had Sun Pictures as its backing studio and was envisioned as a massive cinematic event on par with Hollywood’s biggest productions. However, recent developments have led to the project being put on the back burner, shifting industry speculation to what went wrong and what lies ahead.
During his interview while promoting Baby John starring Varun Dhawan which he had produced Atlee confirmed that his next is with Salman Khan. To Pinkvilla he said “Definitely, I am going to surprise everyone with the casting. What you are thinking, yes (that’s true). But you are going to really get surprised. And I am not being pompous, but it’s going to be the proudest film of our country. We want a lot of blessings, just pray for us.
The casting is on the edge and it’s going to happen in a few weeks. We will have the best best best announcement coming soon to you all.” Varun also added that “It’s going to be out of this world, people don’t know what’s going to hit them. I have heard and seen a little bit of visualization. It’s unbelievable what he is putting together. He is working relentlessly, quietly, and humbly.”
How It All Began
Atlee, known for his blockbuster success Jawan with Shah Rukh Khan, had been in advanced discussions with Salman Khan for a two-hero film.
The project, internally referred to as #A6, was meant to be a high-budget period spectacle, with Sun Pictures investing over Rs 650 crores to create a film of unprecedented scale. The intent was clear—bring together two of India’s biggest film industries, Bollywood and the South, to ensure widespread reach and high profitability.
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