Producer Dil Raju is always on the lookout for fresh stories and is known for backing big-budget films. He had earlier announced a fantasy adventure film titled Jatayu, with Vijay Deverakonda in the lead and Mohana Krishna Indraganti as the director.
The project was initially planned on a grand scale, but before it could go on floors, it underwent major changes.
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The primary reason behind this was the script. Though Indraganti developed the story, Dil Raju was reportedly not completely convinced. He had concerns about the screenplay, especially its commercial appeal.
Since fantasy films need a strong commercial angle, he felt that the script was not fully aligned with that vision. As a result, the team decided to reconsider the project with a different actor and director.
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Another major factor influencing this decision was the failure of Vijay Deverakonda’s Liger at the box office.
Liger, a pan-India film, was a massive flop, making it risky to launch another large-scale project with Vijay at this stage and that too with a small range director like Mohana Krishna Indraganti.
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Dil Raju, therefore, decided to refine the script further and bring in a bigger star to ensure wider market appeal.
Currently, there is speculation that Jatayu might be revamped with Prabhas in the lead. Given Prabhas’ global market, the makers believe he would be a better fit. To strengthen the script, new writers have been brought in, and a fresh director is also under consideration.
Prabhas is already doing many fantasy movies like The Raja Saab, Kalki 2, and Brahmarakshas with Prasanth Varma. It might be an overdose for the audience to see Prabhas in so many fantasy films even though the stories are entirely different. However, a lot will also depend on who’s the director.
Industry insiders are eager to see how Jatayu evolves in its new form.
