Telugu Superstar Nani’s Lavish Costume Drama felled By Covid

Telugu superstar Nani whose  earlier hits include  SS Rajamouli Eega, Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu,Gentlemen, Majnu , Devdasa, Gang Leader and  Jersey(now being made  in Hindi with Shahid Kapoor)  is now producing and  starring  in Shyam  Singha  Roy.  Said  to be the most expensive Telugu  film since Rajamouli’s Baahubali  Shyam Singha Roy apparently has  Nani  as a  Bengali freedom  fighter, and is being made on  a scale to rival  Baahubali.

However the Covid pandemic has played havoc with  the  film’s shooting.

Directed by  Rahul Sankriyan, who earlier directed  Vijay Deverekonda in the supernatural  comedy Taxiwaala,  Shyam  Singha  Roy was  to go on the floors n  April 2020  . But after Covid struck  civilization, shooting  was postponed  until the lockdown was lifted.  The  original producer  Naga Vamsi backed out of  the project as  financially unfeasible   after the  pandemic. Nani decided to produce the film.

The shooting which involved artistes  from Kolkata  was halted this month.

A  source  informs, “Nani and his  director were allowed to go on shooting  even after all shootings were halted in Andhra because it involved artistes  from Bengal and the shooting  was being done on an expensive set  involving  dozens of junior artistes. But now some artistes have  been detected as  Covid Positive and the shooting has  come to a grinding halt.Which means  the entire schedule  would have to be revived  , the expensive  set built again, just for a few days’ shooting whenever  possible.”

The Covid crisis claims one  more victim.