Panja Vaisshnav Tej's debut film Uppena is set to tackle the complex issue of honour killing. According to a source, the makers of the film have been inspired by incidents similar to the Nalgonda episode, and have woven it into the narrative.

“The narrative shows the lead pair -- a fisherman and an upper-caste rich girl -- as star-crossed lovers. The story shows the struggles faced by them due to the stringent practice of casteism,” informs a source.

Vijay Sethupathi is playing the antagonist in this intense love story, which has music by Devi Sri Prasad. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, the film’s principal shooting will commence later this month.

As reported earlier, actor Manisha Raj has walked out of the project due to creative differences and the makers have initiated talks with a couple of actors across industries. “It’s a toss-up between Palasa 1978-fame Nakshatra and Devika Sanjay. The makers are excited to have a Telugu girl on board and may finalise the former,” the source adds.