Shahid Kapoor's mythological film Ashwatthama: The Saga Continues faces hurdles; film put on hold as budget shoots over Rs 500 crore

Shahid Kapoor's highly anticipated mythological film, Ashwatthama: The Saga Continues, has encountered significant setbacks. The film, which aimed to narrate the epic tale of the legendary warrior Ashwatthama, has been put on hold due to budget constraints and logistical challenges.

Shahid was set to portray the titular role in this ambitious project. Initially announced in March, the film generated considerable buzz for its scale and the promise of a grand cinematic experience. Directed by Kannada filmmaker Sachin B Ravi, Ashwatthama was envisioned as one of the most significant Indian productions of Amazon Prime Video.

The film was being produced by Vashu Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment in collaboration with Amazon Studios, with a reported budget exceeding Rs 500 crore. Mid-day quoted a source from the production team, “The project’s scale was enormous. The idea was to create something that could rival international fantasy-action films. Ashwatthama was supposed to be shot across multiple countries. But as we began working out the logistics and coordinating shoots across international locations, it became clear that staying within budget would be a serious challenge. Pooja Entertainment’s debt became another big factor.”

The ambition to shoot across multiple international locations presented substantial logistical and financial challenges. The production team faced difficulties in managing the complex logistics, leading to escalating costs that made it impossible to keep the project within the initial budget. An insider highlighted, “Given the current state of the market, studios are being cautious about green-lighting mega-budget films. A project like *Ashwatthama* comes with a lot of risk.”