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- By Srishti Pandey
- Sun, 11 Feb 2024 04:01 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Immortal Ashwatthama: Filmmaker Aditya Dhar has recently disclosed the reasons behind the shelving of his much-anticipated project, The Immortal Ashwatthama. Originally announced in 2020 with Vicky Kaushal set to lead, the mythological superhero actioner faced hurdles that made its realization impractical for the Indian cinema industry.
During the trailer launch of his latest film, Article 370, Dhar candidly explained the challenges the team encountered in bringing The Immortal Ashwatthama to life. He emphasized the grand vision they had for the project, noting that it surpassed the current capabilities of Indian cinema, particularly in terms of visual effects quality.
Drawing parallels with James Cameron's Avatar, highlighting how Cameron waited for technology to catch up before bringing his vision to the screen. Dhar expressed his commitment to achieving excellence in filmmaking, even if it meant waiting for the right time when the necessary technology becomes more accessible. He said, "James Cameron thought of Avatar 27 years ago, but he waited for the market to grow. The tech to come to that level where he could actually present it. I’m, of course, not him, but if we have to achieve excellence, there can’t be any mediocrity. I can’t make it for the heck of it. Even if it takes five years of my prime time, the film has to be brilliant."
"Once a film is made, then it remains for posterity. It can’t be something mediocre. It can’t have that intent that I just want to make money. It should strive for excellence. I truly believe that as makers we have a huge responsibility of representing our country in the right way," Dhar added. He also said, "We have put that on the back burner right now. I’ll be honest, the kind of vision we all had for that, it was too big to work for Indian cinema. The kind of VFX quality we were looking at, nobody has even strived for it here," Dhar stated.
The Immortal Ashwatthama was initially slated to commence production in 2020 but faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite efforts to kickstart production in 2022, budget constraints continued to impede progress. Vicky Kaushal, who was set to play the titular role, expressed his disappointment regarding the repeated delays but emphasized the importance of waiting for the optimal time to bring the film to fruition.
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"There will be a better time to make that film. More than disheartening, it is that thing that any film should be made at the best time for that film. Every time the film is bigger than me or any individual attached to the film. So, we have to choose a time that justifies making that film. So, we are waiting for that time to come," Kaushal told news agency PTI.
While The Immortal Ashwatthama remains on hold for now, both Dhar and Kaushal are determined to deliver a cinematic experience that surpasses expectations and does justice to the epic tale it aims to portray. With a commitment to excellence and a patient approach, they are poised to make a significant mark on Indian cinema when the time is right.
