What we know so far about “Radhe Shyam”
Last updated: 6 November 2020
Set in the backdrop of 1970’s Europe, “Radhe Shyam” is a romantic-action-drama featuring Prabhas (Baahubali, Saaho) and Pooja Hedge (Mohenjo Daro, Housefull 4), and directed by Radha Krishna Kumar (Jil). The project is bankrolled by UV Creations (Saaho) and T-Series.
The Telugu-Hindi bilingual marks the third collaboration between Prabhas and UV Creations who have earlier worked together in Mirchi (2013) and Saaho (2019).
Prabhas, who has gained a new market in North India following the success of the SS Rajamouli-directed Baahubali film series and Saaho, is treading away from his usual action-drama path with this love story (he will be seen in big-budget action-drama Adipurush after Radhe Shyam).
Radhe Shyam started pre-production in September 2018. Principal photography commenced in October that year in Hyderabad and the cast and crew then headed to Italy for filming.
In December 2018, the director released an update stating “shooting is in progress and a kickass movie will be ready by the end of 2019”.
The director tweeted another update in April 2019 saying the second schedule was completed and revealed the plot to be “a classical tale of two timeless lovers set in the twilights of 1970’s Europe”.
Filming came to halt following the second schedule as Prabhas got busy with the promotions of his “Saaho” that released at the end of August 2019.
The third schedule commenced in January 2020 under “massive sets” in Hyderabad and wrapped up by the end of that month.
The cast and crew then travelled to Georgia to film action scenes including a “cutest chase sequence” with international crew. Prabhas’ last film, Saaho, also had a long chase sequence filmed in the UAE.
The Georgian leg of filming ended on March 17 and the team were scheduled to head to Italy for the next schedule, however they were forced to cancel their plans and return to India for a period of self-quarantining following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy.
In July, the makers announced the title of the film by releasing its first poster and also revealed the names of the rest of the cast.
After over a six-month hiatus, the cast and crew headed to Italy and Georgia again to film the remaining portions, and released a first look of Pooja Hedge’s character Prerna on her birthday (13 October) and that of Prabhas’ character Vikramaditya ahead of his birthday (23 October).
The makers also released a motion poster on 23 October featuring the lead pair leaning out of a moving train in Europe.
Hedge completed her European filming schedule and returned to Mumbai on 2 November.
Special sets have been erected in Annapurna Studios, Hyderabad, where the last leg of filming is set to commence this month.
The makers haven’t announced a release date yet, but it is expected that the period-drama will have a worldwide theatrical release in April 2021.
Some reports in Indian media are claiming that the makers are aiming to conclude filming by the end of November and release the film in January 2021 but we are not able to independently verify this.