With the recent success of Mahavatar Narasimha, high-quality animation has become one of the latest areas of focus in the Indian movie business. Showing once more that audiences across the globe crave local myths to be told through their films, the success of the movie has led many production studios to explore this genre. But being an ambitious enterprise may have its downside, as illustrated with the latest developments involving producer Naga Vamsi’s next film Vayuputra.
Expected to be a big remake of the Lord Hanuman story, Vayuputra would have been directed by Chandoo Mondeti, the filmmaker who has been lauded for Thandel. Though the script has been said to be brilliant and shooting has even begun, there seems to have come to a screeching halt due to budget issues that Naga finds overwhelming.
The primary financial strain stems from the film’s technical requirements. To compete with international standards, Chandoo and his team planned to use cutting-edge technology, including motion capture and animatronics. These advanced tools alone are estimated to cost approximately Rs 38 crore. Once remuneration, music and general production costs are factored in, the total budget is projected to soar beyond Rs 55 crore.
Despite the strong relationship between Sithara Entertainments and digital giants like Netflix, the numbers reportedly do not add up. Digital offers are said to peak at around Rs 16 crore, leaving a massive financial gap that would need to be recovered from a volatile theatrical market. Given these risks, Naga is understandably cautious about proceeding without a firmer financial safety net. While neither the producer nor Mondeti has officially confirmed the cancellation, Vayuputra remains in limbo as the industry waits for further clarity.
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