Vrusshabha (2025)

Interesting facts

Vrusshabha is a 2025 Indian Telugu-language fantasy action film written and directed by Nanda Kishore. It was jointly produced by Connekkt Media and Balaji Motion Pictures, in association with Abishek S Vyas Studios. The film stars Mohanlal in the titular role, with Neha Saxena, Samarjit Lankesh, Ragini Dwivedi, Nayan Sarika, and Ajay appearing in supporting roles. The film was partially reshot in Malayalam. Principal photography took place between July 2020 and February 2025 in sporadic schedules.

Production

On 3 July 2023, producer Ekta Kapoor announced that her production house Balaji Telefilms is partnering with Connekkt Media and AVS Studios for a bilingual film, Vrusshabha, to be shot in Telugu and Malayalam languages, starring Mohanlal in the lead role, with Nanda Kishore set to direct. It is the first production of AVS Studios.

Kishore stated that the film drew inspiration from Indian mythological epics, and that he spent 3 – 4 months developing the idea before beginning the writing process. According to Kishore, the film is structured around the concept of a karmic cycle. He illustrates this through the story of King Harishchandra, whose unwavering commitment to his promises results in severe personal hardship despite his innocence.

On casting Mohanlal, Kishore said that the protagonist required the gravitas of an actor of Mohanlal's stature, remarking, "Mohanlal is someone who acts with his eyes". He added that Mohanlal could convincingly handle both action sequences and fatherly emotions. According to Kishore, Mohanlal's character draws from both King Harishchandra and Lord Rama. His character is modelled on Vṛṣabha, a divine warrior figure associated with Lord Shiva.

In January 2025, Neha Saxena confirmed her role as Yashodha, one of the important characters. She completed four shooting schedules—one in Mysore and three in Mumbai. Both Meka and Kapoor were recast following some casting changes over dates availability. In February 2025, following the film's completion, it was reported that Meka was replaced by Samarjit Lankesh.

Principal photography began on 23 July 2023. Battles scenes involving Mohanlal were filmed on a set in Mysore. The first schedule was completed on 22 August. Filming resumed with a second schedule in Mumbai beginning on 13 October. Production was subsequently delayed for a period; in June 2024, Kishore attributed the delay to technical reasons and stated that approximately 50 percent of the filming had been completed.

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