• Source:JND
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Salman Khan, a superstar with a massive fan base across the nation, has been making headlines for his potential collaboration with director Atlee. The film, a mega-budget, two-hero period drama with a reincarnation theme, was set to be produced by Sun Pictures. However, the latest update reveals that the project has been put on the back burner due to a date conflict with Rajinikanth.

According to an independent industry source, the film, codenamed A6, was always planned as a two-hero project, with the intention of casting two top names from the North and South to justify the massive budget of Rs 650 crore. While Salman Khan had given his nod to the film, Atlee and Sun Pictures were confident of roping in either Kamal Haasan or Rajinikanth to play the parallel lead. The conversations with both Tamil cinema giants continued for over six months, but ultimately didn't fall into place due to multiple reasons.

The source revealed that Kamal Haasan wasn't too sure about playing the role of Salman Khan's father in the film, while Rajinikanth is committed to shooting for Coolie and Jailer 2 until the start of 2026. He is also on the verge of greenlighting another project post Jailer 2, which means his dates are blocked till 2026. After both conversations fell through, Atlee and Sun Pictures were left searching for alternative options, but couldn't find an ideal replacement for Rajinikanth or Kamal Haasan. They were looking for someone who could bring in big revenue from digital and satellite in the local language, but the options of senior superstars with that market value were limited.

In a bid to find a suitable replacement, the makers even attempted to go international, initiating conversations with Sylvester Stallone to play the parallel lead. However, the financials didn't fall into place, and the team is still exploring options of casting other international names. The process is expected to take longer than usual due to complexities of contracts and other barriers. After all the attempts, Atlee, Salman Khan, and Sun Pictures have decided to team up in the near future, acknowledging that some films are designed to work out only as a collaboration between the two industries - either North and South of India and Hollywood. Ambitious projects often take time to materialise and it will be exciting to see who will eventually collaborate with Salman Khan on Atlee's film and how these giants in the entertainment industry will create a cinematic spectacle.