As fans eagerly await the teaser of Vijay Deverakonda’s upcoming film Ranabaali, which is set to release on September 9, an interesting chapter from the actor’s filmography has resurfaced.
Mythri Movie Makers producer Y. Ravi Shankar recently recalled Vijay’s shelved 2019 film Hero at the Sardar 2 pre-release event, revealing that the makers had actually shot a portion of the project before it was eventually shelved.
Directed by Anand Annamalai and featuring Malavika Mohanan as the female lead, Hero was launched grandly in May 2019 as a sports-action drama, with Vijay Deverakonda playing a biker. The project generated considerable interest at the time, but it quietly disappeared after filming a schedule.
The revelation is particularly intriguing because Hero was not merely an announced project that never went into production – the makers had already invested in filming before the project was put on hold. Vijay had previously indicated that the film needed more time, although the project ultimately never materialised.
Ravi Shankar’s recent recollection has now brought the forgotten film back into the spotlight, especially with Malavika Mohanan being part of Sardar 2.
Interestingly, Hero came from the same production house that has collaborated with Vijay on Dear Comrade and Khushi, and is now backing Ranabaali, directed by Rahul Sankrityan. For Vijay’s fans, the resurfacing of Hero offers a fascinating reminder of a promising sports drama that came close to becoming a reality but never made it to the big screen.