Hrithik Roshan to play villain against Ajay Devgn in second Unsung Warriors film after Tanhaji; Om Raut to direct?

Ajay Devgn and Om Raut have been wanting to take their Unsung Warriors franchise ahead for a while.

Ajay Devgn Eyes Hrithik Roshan For Villain In Unsung Warriors Sequel?

Back in 2020, Ajay Devgn transformed into Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare for Om Raut’s period drama Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior and the movie turned out to be a massive hit. The success, which was enough to warrant more such films, gave the actor-filmmaker duo confidence to invest further in this idea. What emerged was the thought of an Unsung Warriors franchise, aimed at telling the stories of lesser-known heroes from the history of Maharashtra and India at large. However, both got busy with their other projects, and nothing materialized. Now, it appears they have returned to the idea of taking this franchise forward, even juggling between story ideas as we speak. What’s even more exciting is that they are eyeing Hrithik Roshan to play the villain in the second film of the franchise.

Ajay Devgn Back to Unsung Warriors Franchise

It is now being said that Ajay Devgn and Om Raut, following the success of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior initially planned to make the second film on Baji Prabhu Deshpande, a 17th-century general of the Maratha army. However, their plans hit a roadblock when a Marathi film, Pawankhind, told the story of the valor of the general and created significant buzz. This led them to put their plans on the backburner. It now seems they have revisited the idea, as they had already completed some research for the project. A MidDay report suggests they could either continue with the same story or pivot to a different hero’s tale.

A source close to the development said, “The braveheart 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.”

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“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,” the source added.

Hrithik Roshan for the Villain

The source further confirmed that Ajay Devgn wants Hrithik Roshan to play the villain opposite him in the movie, with Sharad Kelkar continuing his role as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. If this happens, it will mark the first time Hrithik and Ajay share the screen. The insider shared, “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.”

Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

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