Sandeep Raj Shares Heartfelt Note as Mowgli Moves to Digital Release
Sandeep Raj’s Telugu film Mowgli shifts to OTT as Akhanda 2 release on Dec 12 blocks theatres. Director shares emotional note about the setback and his team’s efforts.
Sandeep Raj Shares Heartfelt Note as Mowgli Moves to Digital Release
The premiere of Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Akhanda 2, that was first scheduled for December 5 has now been postponed because of the financial disputes that were there between 14 Reels Plus and Eros. The Madras High Court has now given a clearance and the matter has been settled, so the film is now ready to be released in cinemas on December 12.
The new date for the release, however, has posed a significant challenge for the mid-budget Telugu film Mowgli, directed by Sandeep Raj. While Akhanda 2 was initially the film that Mowgli planned on being released with, the producers of Mowgli realized that they would not be able to compete with the mega-budget blockbuster, and that pushing the release date further would not be an option as there is already an OTT distribution deal with People Media Factory. Thus, Mowgli is now going to be released directly on digital platforms.
Sandeep Raj Shares Heartbreaking Note
On X (formerly Twitter), Sandeep Raj posted a very genuine and emotional note regarding the situation, and shared his resentment and disillusionment with the whole scenario.
“Perhaps Colour Photo and Mowgli should have had another director instead of me. A dedicated team of creative people worked hard to make these movies, and they could do anything for their profession,” he wrote.
Looking back at the history of hard luck with his films, Sandeep added:
“Just when everything seemed to be going well for the bad luck with their release… Maybe I’m the bad luck. I’m even starting to feel that way. My dream of seeing the title ‘Directed by Sandeep Raj’ on the big screen is becoming harder day by day. I think SILVERSCREEN hates me.”
He also thanked his cast and crew in a big way:
“Mowgli was created with the love, hard work, and dedication of so many professionals like Roshan, Saroj Garu, Sakshi, Harsha, DOP Maruthi, Bhairava and others. My hope is that no matter what good things happen to Mowgli, at least it is for their sake.”
Background: Sandeep Raj’s Journey
Sandeep Raj’s first film, Colour Photo, was widely accepted by critics and even got the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. The success of the first film did not mean that the filmmaker was not facing a tough situation with his second film Mowgli going directly to OTT and thus losing the theatrical audience.
