Nelson Drops NTR Project? Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 Pushes Director’s Plans Aside

Mass star NTR is currently immersed in the shooting of Dragon, directed by Prashanth Neel, a project that has generated massive anticipation among fans. The film is targeting a release next year. Following this, several reports suggested that NTR would collaborate with Tamil filmmaker Nelson Dilipkumar for his next movie. Nelson, meanwhile, is busy handling Jailer 2, starring Superstar Rajinikanth, and speculation grew that he would move on to NTR’s film after completing it.

However, fresh buzz in Kollywood circles indicates that the NTR–Nelson project may not happen anytime soon—mainly because of Rajinikanth’s influence. After facing criticism for Beast, Nelson bounced back strongly with Jailer, thanks to Rajinikanth’s support. This success reportedly strengthened their association, and Nelson is now focused on delivering another blockbuster with Jailer 2.

Industry insiders say that if Rajinikanth offers Nelson another major project, the director wouldn’t let it pass—leading to delays in his proposed film with NTR.

Meanwhile, production has already begun for Thalaivar 173, under Kamal Haasan’s banner, with Rajinikanth in the lead role. Initially, the film was supposed to be directed by Sundar C, but he stepped away due to undisclosed reasons. This opened discussions about who would replace him, and Nelson’s name has surfaced strongly. Reports suggest that after finishing Jailer 2, Nelson is preparing to take over Thalaivar 173, which again results in postponing the NTR project.

With Nelson moving out, the opportunity has reportedly shifted to Trivikram Srinivas. It is well-known that Trivikram has already developed a story titled Kumaraswamy for NTR. Many assumed the project would take longer because of Nelson’s involvement, but with Nelson stepping away, Trivikram is now said to be advancing the film.

If things go as expected, once NTR completes Dragon, he is likely to join Trivikram's film next. Fans are now waiting for official confirmation to see how these developments unfold.