After Tanhaji, Ajay Devgn keen to cast Hrithik Roshan as the antagonist in new film on unsung warriors

Sources say after Tanhaji, Ajay Devgn, and director Om Raut planning the second edition of the unsung warrior's franchise; the actor is keen to cast Hrithik Roshan as the antagonist

Imagine a film franchise on the unsung heroes of India— that was actor-producer Ajay Devgn’s plan after his Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020) became a runaway hit. However, he couldn’t put the plan to action at the time as director Om Raut and he got busy with their respective projects. Over four years on, it looks like the actor-director duo may reunite for the second instalment of the franchise. Not just that, sources say Devgn is keen to rope in Hrithik Roshan for a pivotal role in the historical drama.

In the past few months, Devgn and Raut apparently met a couple of times at the actor’s office to discuss taking the ‘Unsung Warriors’ franchise ahead. A source tells us that the duo was initially keen to bring the story of Baji Prabhu Deshpande, a 17th century general of the Maratha army, to the big screen. The source elaborates, “The brave-heart is known for his role in the Battle of Pavan Khind, which took place in 1660 and saw him sacrificing his life to defend Shivaji Maharaj. But Ajay and Om hit the brakes on their plan when the Marathi film, Pawankhind [2022], which explored the same subject, was made. Now, they are toying with two options—either tell the same story on a grander scale, or choose another hero from the Maratha kingdom. The talks are still at the nascent stage. They haven’t entirely scrapped the idea of making the Baji Prabhu biopic, as a lot of research and planning had been done on that front.” 

Om Raut

In Tanhaji, Devgn played the eponymous hero, even winning the National Award for Best Actor for the performance. Saif Ali Khan stepped into the shoes of Udaybhan Singh Rathod, Tanhaji’s adversary in the story. While Devgn will play the lead in the second instalment, he is eager to cast Roshan as the antagonist. The insider shares, “Ajay feels Hrithik has tremendous screen presence and charisma. Couple that with his acting prowess, and the superstar will be a towering rival to Ajay’s character.” If things work out, this will be the two superstars’ first on-screen union. As far as the casting of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is concerned, we have heard Sharad Kelkar will reprise the role after Tanhaji.  

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