What was meant to be a breezy launch of Mowgli 2025’s recent teaser has unexpectedly landed in the middle of controversy. The film, directed by Colour Photo maker Sandeep Raj and produced by TG Vishwa Prasad under People Media Factory, unveiled its first teaser “The World of Mowgli” last week. While Nani’s narration and Roshan Kanakala’s jungle-lover act caught attention, it was co-star Bandi Saroj Kumar who majorly got appreciation on social media for his villainous portrayal of the character, Nolan.
Saroj, an actor-director who built a strong following through YouTube and indie cinema, claimed in a now-deleted tweet that his role in the film was being deliberately downplayed. He wrote, “I gave eight months of my time without remuneration, only because of director Sandeep Raj’s request. After the glimpse was released, comments mentioning me were deleted, the thumbnail was changed, and bot activity was used to push positive responses for the hero. This is not promotion, this is insecurity.”
Calling it “cheap nepotism”, Saroj accused the team of insecurity and hinted he would reveal more proof soon. Though his posts were deleted and his account deactivated, screenshots of his statements are now circulating widely online, fuelling speculation around the Mowgli 2025’s internal dynamics.
Saroj however later, deleted his original tweet, posted another saying that he "apologises" for the "misunderstanding," and deactivated his account. More updates about this incident are yet to be out.
In Mowgli 2025, Roshan Kanakala plays a rugged jungle dweller who falls in love with Sakshi Mhadolkar’s character. Saroj plays Inspector Nolan, a policeman who also vies for her affection, sparking conflict. The film marks the first mainstream outing for Bandi Saroj who was last seen in his indie production, Parakramam.
While audiences were beginning to warm up to the romantic-action flavour, Saroj’s accusations have put the team in an awkward position. With music by Kaala Bhairava and a technical team including cinematographer Rama Maruti M and editor Kodati Pavan Kalyan, Mowgli 2025 is positioned as a youthful love story with action undertones.
