Kannada filmmaker Sachin Ravi has taken an unusual route for his Bollywood debut. The director, best known for Avane Srimannarayana, was initially set to make his Hindi debut with Ashwathama: The Saga Continues, starring Shahid Kapoor. Announced in 2024, the mythological action drama had Ravi at the helm and was backed by Vashu Bhagnani and Jackky Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment in association with Amazon Studios. The project, which had been in the works for nearly four years, was eventually put on hold.

Interestingly, Ashwathama itself has had a complicated history in Indian cinema. Before Shahid Kapoor came on board, Aditya Dhar had announced The Immortal Ashwatthama with Vicky Kaushal. The project was eventually shelved, with its reported scale and budget becoming a concern.

Ravi had his own connection with Ashwathama even before the Shahid Kapoor project. He had earlier announced a Kannada film with Shivarajkumar in the lead. Director Anup Bhandari had also announced a film titled Ashwathama with Sudeep. Neither project moved ahead.

Now, Ravi has quietly crossed the Bollywood debut hurdle with a different film. He has completed shooting for an untitled action thriller starring Tiger Shroff and produced by Murad Khetani, known for backing films such as Kabir Singh. The project was mounted as a high-concept action film with elements of a love story and has now moved into post-production.

The Tiger Shroff film is also expected to take a different approach to the actor’s familiar action image. The focus is said to be on the central character and the action rather than a conventional romantic track. The makers are expected to announce the title and details of the cast and crew soon.