Director Amit Rai, best known for the hit OMG 2, recently announced that his ambitious biopic of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, starring Shahid Kapoor, has been officially shelved. The film had generated considerable buzz among fans of history and cinema alike, both for its celebrated subject and its sizeable star power
In a candid chat with Mid-Day and other outlets, Rai expressed his frustration, harshly criticizing Bollywood’s decision-making culture. He described the film industry’s environment as cruel, questioning its priorities: “The system is so cruel. Even after delivering a ₹180 crore success with OMG 2, it’s not enough,” Rai stated, highlighting how creative projects can falter despite past achievements.
Rai shared how a deeply held story he had nurtured over five years was dismissed in moments by insiders who dissected and rejected his vision: “How is a director supposed to work here, under these systems of casting, production, star, and management? You live with a story for five years, and within minutes someone writes a five‑pager, pointing out what is wrong and what is right in the film.”
Confirming that Shahid Kapoor has stepped away from the project, Rai hinted at taking a more independent path in the future. He revealed he would self-produce his next film, “Dharma,” a social drama featuring Pankaj Tripathi and possibly Akshay Kumar, and helmed by Hungarian cinematographer Máté Herbai and Hollywood action/motion-capture specialist Isaac Hamon.
The shelving of the Shahid-starrer biopic underscores the complex and often unpredictable dynamics behind the camera in Bollywood, the industry’s preference for safe formulas over creative risk-taking. Rai’s outspoken criticism of this system highlights how even experienced filmmakers can struggle to bring deeply personal and historical stories to the screen.
