Hanu Raghavapudi reimagines India of 1940s with Prabhas leading the charge

After exploring love and duty against the backdrop of war in Sita Ramam, filmmaker Hanu Raghavapudi now turns his lens toward a larger canvas — a reimagined 1940s India under colonial rule. His upcoming film with Prabhas delves into the space of historical fiction, blending fact and imagination to create what he calls a “wishful and heroic” retelling of the freedom era.

Announced on the actor’s birthday, the film’s title was revealed alongside a first-look poster featuring Prabhas in a fierce warrior avatar.

Speaking exclusively to Hyderabad Times, Raghavapudi described the story as a mix of altered history and emotional intensity. “It’s not about the history we’ve read, or about what we don’t really know; yet we all feel it would be nice if it had happened that way,” he explained.

“The film carries that kind of wishful and heroic tone.”

Prabhas’s character, he adds, “Embodies the virtues of Arjuna, Karna, and Ekalavya — a one-man army guided by dharma. He is tactical, strategic, and cannot control himself when he sees injustice. He possesses the intelligence of Chanakya.”The film is a blend of real events and creative reconstruction, he says. “The events in the film are real, but the stitching is fictional; it’s altered history. In a nutshell, it’s an emotional drama with high-octane action.”