Sometimes, the postponement of big film releases affects small films in a major way. This isn’t new in Tollywood, but this time the situation has been quite different. Balakrishna’s Akhanda 2 was originally scheduled to release on December 5, but due to financial issues, it has been pushed to December 12. Several small films had already locked December 12 as their release date, and many of them have now postponed their releases because of the big film.
Mowgli too had to be rescheduled, though only by one day. “After five years, my film Mowgli is finally coming. We worked hard for the last two years. Writing and pre-production took one year, and another year went into shooting. Everything had been falling into place until now. But with Akhanda 2 moving to December 12, I was very happy all these days, and suddenly this disturbed me a lot,” said director Sandeep Raj at the pre-release event.
“Some said Mowgli should release in February, some said January, but big films are lined up for January. Deep inside, I felt I made a good film, and I believe in my work. That’s why we are releasing Mowgli on December 13,” he added. He also requested the audience to watch Akhanda 2 first and then come to watch Mowgli the next day.
The director shared his personal struggles during the journey, adding, “If a person gives a flop, he may sit at home. But I delivered a successful film like Colour Photo and still sat at home for five years. That was painful. When you give a hit and still stay home for five years, only then you know how tough it is. That’s why I made Mowgli with a lot of care.”
He praised the film’s female lead, Sakkshi Mhadolkar, who is making her Telugu debut. “She plays a deaf and mute character. In one particular scene, a huge cracker bursts with a loud noise. She wasn’t supposed to react or flinch. Normally, any person would shake for a moment, but Sakshi didn’t even blink. She is a fantastic performer. In the next five to ten years, she will definitely become a star heroine,” Sandeep said.
Sandeep also shared how he cast Bandi Saroj Kumar as the villain. “After searching a lot, we found Bandi Saroj. But once he started shooting, I realised he’s not just a villain — he’s an anti-hero, the way he performed.” He added that the character he plays is called Nolan and appears mostly in the second half. “Though each actor has done one or two films, this film will feel like a multi-starrer,” he said.
Sandeep also revealed that his wife Chandini believed Roshan was the perfect choice for the lead role. “She told me not to consider anyone else. Roshan worked very hard. Wherever we asked him to go, he did it. We shot in a dirty drain full of mosquitoes and mud. He even put his head inside that water,” Sandeep said.
The director compared his film to a Meenakshi pan after a heavy meal. “Watch Akhanda 2 first, then come out and you’ll need a Meenakshi pan… so watch our film. I promise you won’t be disappointed,” he said.
Sandeep concluded by saying, “In these five years, I attended many events and spoke a lot. But when it came to my own film’s event, I felt emotional.”
