Shahid Kapoor's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shelved, Director Amit Rai Calls System 'Cruel': 'Proved Mettle With ₹180 Cr Film, Still Not Enough'

Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor was set to star in a biopic on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, directed by Amit Rai, the filmmaker behind OMG 2. However, the project has now been shelved. Expressing his disappointment, Amit Rai called the system 'cruel,' explaining that despite delivering a Rs 180 crore hit with OMG 2, it still wasn't enough. He admitted feeling helpless about the biopic, which was also written by him.

Speaking to Mid-Day, Amit said, "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, somebody writes a five-pager, pointing out what is wrong and what is right in the film."

Amit shared that this experience made him realise that turning producer was the only way forward. While Pankaj Tripathi was part of the film, Amit revealed that Akshay Kumar had also expressed interest and asked why the film wasn't pitched to him. Speaking about this, Rai said that an actor will only choose a project that works at the box office.

"Very few actors were honest to me. Sometimes, they weren’t interested in being part of a film that’s speaking the truth about society, and instead wanted to do a love story. But when I took a love story to them, they said, ‘This is an expensive film, this is a period love story.’ So, the criterion kept changing. [The truth is that] they will say yes to you once you enter their circle," he concluded.

On the work front, Shahid was last seen in Deva, alongside Pooja Hegde.

Next, he will be seen in the action thriller Arjun Ustara.