| SSMB29 | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | S. S. Rajamouli |
| Screenplay by | S. S. Rajamouli V. Vijayendra Prasad |
| Story by | V. Vijayendra Prasad |
| Produced by | K. L. Narayana |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | P. S. Vinod |
| Edited by | Tammiraju |
| Music by | M. M. Keeravani |
Production company | Durga Arts |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget | ₹1,000 crore (US$110 million) [1] |
SSMB29 (also known as SSRMB) is the working title of an upcoming Indian Telugu-language action adventure film directed by S. S. Rajamouli, who co-wrote the screenplay with V. Vijayendra Prasad. It is produced by K. L. Narayana under the banner of Durga Arts. The film stars Mahesh Babu, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Priyanka Chopra.
The film was officially confirmed in April 2020 under the tentative title SSMB29, as it is intended to be Babu's 29th film as the lead actor. Rajamouli began working on the project, following the release of his prior film RRR (2022). Principal photography commenced in February 2025 in Hyderabad along with a sporadic schedule held at Odisha. Carrying a budget of ₹1,000 crore (US$110 million), it is poised to be the most expensive Indian film. The film has music composed by M. M. Keeravani and cinematography by P. S. Vinod.
Director S. S. Rajamouli 's maiden collaboration with actor Mahesh Babu was in works as early as 2010, however, the project was delayed due to various reasons. [2] [3] K. L. Narayana's Durga Arts is committed for funding the project. Following the success of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion in 2017, it was reported that Rajamouli is set to unite with Babu for their maiden project. [4] That October, while announcing two projects during an interview with Variety, Rajamouli confirmed that D. V. V. Danayya's DVV Entertainment would fund one project, while Durga Arts would fund the other project. [5] Rajamouli firstly prioritized his project with Danayya, which became RRR (2022). [6] [7]
In April 2020, Rajamouli confirmed that his project with Narayana would commence production after RRR and will be featuring Babu as the leading actor. [8] V. Vijayendra Prasad, Rajamouli's father and the co-writer of the film, in June 2021, confirmed that they were developing film which is specifically an African forest adventure. [9] The following October, Babu confirmed that production would begin after he completes Guntur Kaaram (2024). [10]
Describing the film as a "globetrotting action adventure," Rajamouli said that the film would be on the lines of Indiana Jones but with Indian roots. Prasad added that the film would be made with many emotions, like Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). [11] In June 2024, Pinkvilla reported that Rajamouli acquired the rights of African-British novelist Wilbur Smith 's bestselling adventure novels Triumph of the Sun and King of Kings. [12] [13] It is also reported that the ancient city of Kashi forms a crucial part of the story. [14]
The film is made on a budget of ₹1,000 crore (US$110 million), which would make it the most expensive Indian film to date, [1] [15] with both Rajamouli and Babu reportedly taking the revenue sharing model to benefit the film's production; as per the basis, they would receive an advance, and 40% of the profits would be received as their remuneration. [16]
In March 2024, Rajamouli and Prasad had completed writing the final script and began the pre-production process. [17] They had used two years (2022–2024) on developing the story. [18] In January 2024, Babu flew to Germany to undergo intense physical training as part of preparation for his role. [19] [20] In October, Rajamouli was seen scouting for shooting locations in Kenya. [21] A muhurat puja was held on 2 January 2025 at Alluminium Factory in Hyderabad with the film's cast and crew. [22]
In September 2024, P. S. Vinod was announced as cinematographer, in his first collaboration with Rajamouli and replacing K. K. Senthil Kumar, his norm collaborator since Sye (2004). [23] M. M. Keeravani, who has scored the music for all of Rajamouli's films, will score the music. [24] Tammiraju was chosen as the film's editor. [25] Actor Nassar was brought onboard to help the crew, whereas he helped Babu to train him dialect. [26]
Babu was reported to play as an explorer inspired by the characteristics of Hanuman. [27] Priyanka Chopra was confirmed as the female lead, marking her first collaboration with Babu and Rajamouli and her return to Indian cinema after The Sky Is Pink (2019). [28] Prithviraj Sukumaran was cast in an important role, marking his third Telugu film after Police Police (2010) and Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire (2023). [29] Rajamouli signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) after the success of RRR, and would be reportedly using numerous American actors for this film. [30]
In September 2024, it was reported that Rajamouli would firstly prioritize sequences which would need VFX when filming, due to the film reportedly featuring multiple VFX-based action sequences. [31] Principal photography was initially reported to commence from 2024, [32] but instead commenced on 2 February 2025 in Hyderabad. Babu, along with Chopra, were both present during the schedule. To avoid leaks of the project, Rajamouli enforced non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for the cast and crew, while also banning mobile phones at the set. [33] Chopra resumed filming her portions in early February after attending her brother’s wedding. [34] After completing the schedule in Hyderabad, reports claimed that the makers would shoot the following schedule in Kenya. [35] The portions in the schedule were completed filming by early March. [36]
For the second schedule, Babu and Pritiviraj Sukumaran left to Odisha together on 5 March. [29] For the third schedule, the makers constructed a massive set at Talamali hilltop in Koraput, which resembled Kashi. [37] However, a picture of the set was leaked to social media once again. [38] During this schedule, an action sequence was shot. On 9 March, a footage featuring both the actors were leaked on social media platforms. [39] Reportedly, Rajamouli became furious about the leak and requested the production house to hire a new security agency. [40] An elaborate set resembling the ancient city of Kashi is erected in Hyderabad. [41]
The soundtrack is composed by Rajamouli's norm musician M. M. Keeravani, in his first collaboration with Babu. [24]
The film is reportedly scheduled to be released in 2027. [42] Apart from the original Telugu language, it will also be released with dubbed versions in the Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada languages. [43]
In December 2024, it was reported that the film would be released in two parts, with the first part releasing in 2027 and the second part in 2029. [42]
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