The highly anticipated Shaktimaan film has been making headlines, not just for its potential to bring one of India’s most beloved superheroes back to life but also for the challenges surrounding its production. Sony Pictures India, which has secured the rights to adapt Shaktimaan into a major motion picture, cast Ranveer Singh as the titular character and roped in Basil Joseph, known for his work on Minnal Murali, as the director. However, despite these high-profile names, the project faces significant hurdles.
Shaktimaan’s 400 cr. gamble as Sony Pictures faces superhero conundrum – “Replace Ranveer Singh with Ranbir Kapoor or slash budgets by 50%”
According to trade sources, it has been a struggle for Sony Pictures India to mount the project ever since. A trade source says, “Sony Pictures want to make Shaktimaan in the best possible way, but to their surprise, the digital players are not bullish on the film due to the not so good run of Ranveer Singh. They feel, he is on an all-time low and even a film like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani did not do the business that was expected from it.”
The source adds, “Sony Pictures believe that they are making the most exciting film of Indian Cinema, as Shaktimaan returns with a talented actor like Ranveer, but the market has a complete different perspective. The OTT platforms have asked them to replace Ranveer Singh with Ranbir Kapoor due to his diminishing stardom. Right now, they are trying to rework the budgets, and make the film happen with Ranveer Singh. Let’s see.”
The ambitious project comes with a massive production budget of ₹400 crore, making it one of the costliest films in Indian cinema and no one is willing to place such a huge risk. Given this high cost, the producers are dependent on securing premium deals with OTT platforms and satellite channels to mitigate risks. Unfortunately, these platforms currently view Ranveer Singh as a gamble due to his recent box office performance, which has been inconsistent. “Sony Pictures is struggling to sell Ranveer Singh as Superhero. The film can’t be made without premium OTT and satellite deals. And those deals right now are not possible with Ranveer. Let’s wait and watch. They want to take the film on floors by second half of 2025 and are hoping to secure better deals,” a source told Bollywood Hungama.
Earlier this month, Mukesh Khanna too addressed the rumours of Ranveer Singh playing Shaktimaan and responded to ABP Entertainment Live when they asked about the actor essaying the character, saying, “I have a contract with Sony International who made Spiderman. They have agreements. It took one year for them to draw these agreements. I am committed to not to talk. They hyped it so much everywhere that this one will become Shaktimaan, that one will become Shaktimaan.”
He continued, “Photos chap rahein hai aur sabne maan na shuru kar diya yeh Shaktimaan hai. Upar Aakash ke log bol rahein hain ki yeh Shaktimaan Banega. Inhone refute nahi kiya. Maine bhi unko message kia hai yeh puchte hue ki tum logon ne refute kyun nahi kiya ki hum isko nahi le rahein hai. Chup hai. Tab maine kahan andhar se daal pakk rahi hai. Toh main khada ho gaya maine nahi kahan hai abhi tak yeh Shaktimaan Banega (there were photos all over the place. People in the clouds started believing that he will be playing Shaktimaan. They didn’t refute. I messaged them asking why they didn’t refute this. They stayed silent. That’s when I realized something internally is going on. But I stood my ground and asserted that I have not decided yet whether he will play Shaktiman or no)”. This is not the first time where Mukesh Khanna has spoken about Singh. In the past, Mukesh Khanna had also raised his objection over Ranveer Singh going almost nude for a magazine photoshoot too.
As Sony Pictures navigates these challenges, the fate of Shaktimaan remains uncertain at this point in time. Whether the studio will stick with Ranveer Singh and slash budgets by 50% or opt for Ranbir Kapoor as a safer bet will likely depend on the evolving market dynamics in the coming months. What remains clear is that Shaktimaan is a project of immense ambition, and expectations are sky-high for its revival as a cultural phenomenon. For now, fans of the superhero must wait patiently to see who dons the iconic suit and brings Shaktimaan back to the big screen.
Also Read: Ranveer Singh meets OG Shaktimaan Mukesh; latter describes him as ‘good person with a dynamic personality’: “The most energetic actor in the industry”
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