Gopichand Malineni Says Vijay Left His Film Because of Pressure Over Tamil Director Selection in Last Project
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Telugu director Gopichand Malineni recently made his Bollywood debut with the Sunny Deol-starring Jaat. However, he disclosed in a Telugu One interview that before that, he was supposed to work on a Kollywood film with actor Vijay instead. He also asserts that even though he appreciated his script, Vijay was 'pressured' into selecting a Tamil director for his final project.
Gopichand Malineni on Vijay’s final project
Gopichand was questioned about the truth behind approaching Chiranjeevi for a film following the success of Veera Simha Reddy’s (2023) and the lack of progress. The director instead revealed that he reached out to Vijay, saying, “Immediately after Veera Simha Reddy, I crafted a story and presented it to Vijay. He was so impressed that he approved it in one sitting. ”
Nevertheless, Gopichand contends that since he had previously worked on Varisu (2023) with a Telugu director, Vamshi Paidipally, he was 'pressured' to select a Tamil filmmaker. “He was prepared to announce it. But because this would be his last film before entering politics, his team pressured him to choose a Tamil director instead of a Telugu one. He had already collaborated with a Telugu director on Varisu, so they preferred he not work with a Telugu director so soon. ”
He mentioned that after Vijay withdrew from the film, the director aimed to cast Ravi Teja for the part, but that hasn't worked out yet either.
Vijay’s upcoming film Jana Nayagan
Following the 2024 film The Greatest of All Time directed by Venkat Prabhu, all attention has been on Vijay’s final project since he disclosed his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). His concluding film, Jana Nayagan, features Vijay, Pooja Hegde, and Bobby Deol in leading roles, along with Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Narain, Priyamani, Mamitha Baiju, Monisha Blessy, and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar. It is scheduled for release on January 9, 2026.
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