CM YS Jagan Cabinet Meeting Live Updates

The much-awaited Hiranyakashyap project, which had been in discussion for several years among Telugu cinema fans, is now unlikely to move forward. Director Gunasekhar has recently clarified the situation, bringing full clarity to ongoing speculations about the film.

According to him, the ambitious project has been put on hold due to multiple challenges, including a massive budget requirement, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes in production company priorities. Gunasekhar had originally planned this magnum opus with Rana Daggubati in the lead role, aiming to present the mythological story on an international scale with cutting-edge visual effects and grand production design.

He revealed that nearly seven years were invested in the project, including three to four years of extensive pre-production work. Detailed efforts were made on character design, world-building, and visual concepts. However, the estimated budget for the film escalated to around ₹300 crore, making it difficult to proceed.

Initially, international production companies such as Fox Star had shown interest in the project. But after the COVID-19 pandemic, circumstances changed drastically. Following Disney’s acquisition of Fox Star, the new management reportedly lost interest in taking the project forward, citing concerns over the high investment involved.

Gunasekhar also addressed recent rumours suggesting that Trivikram Srinivas might direct Hiranyakashyap. He clarified that he personally spoke to Trivikram, who confirmed that he is only involved in the writing aspect and has no plans to direct the film, putting an end to the speculation.

Expressing disappointment, Gunasekhar said he had dedicated years of hard work to the project, and some ideas developed during that time have even inspired other films. He also noted that mythological stories do not have exclusive rights, allowing multiple interpretations by different filmmakers.

He further mentioned the success of Mahavatar Narsimha, stating that audience interest in such mythological themes remains strong. Although Hiranyakashyap is currently shelved, he confirmed that he is working on a new large-scale concept inspired by similar ideas, which is currently in development.