Filmmaker Prashanth Neel has shared fresh details about his upcoming film 'Dragon', starring Jr. NTR in the lead role. This ambitious action drama is already generating strong buzz among fans, marking the first collaboration between Neel and the 'Devara' actor.
Real Historical Backdrop
According to the filmmaker, 'Dragon' is his most realistic attempt so far. The story is set during the late 1960s and revolves around real locations and historical events. Prashanth Neel said, "This is more accurate than stories I've told before. This is set in Mumbai and Kolkata, so cities are real. It's a story I built around the opium trade and heroin trade that did exist during the British era and after they left also. I'm just building an arena where real drama takes place. It's a very realistic attempt at the 1967 period."
The narrative reportedly explores the illegal opium and heroin trade during that era. The story unfolds in regions close to the borders of India, China, and Bhutan.
Large-Scale Action Saga
'Dragon' is being described as an epic action saga with emotionally intense moments spread across different timelines. Apart from Jr. NTR, veteran actor Anil Kapoor also plays a major role in the film, and his character was teased at the end of the teaser. Malayalam actor Biju Menon also plays a significant role in the actioner.
Dark Character Arc
Earlier, Prashanth Neel had spoken about Jr. NTR's role in 'Dragon' and described it as one of the darkest characters he has written so far. According to the filmmaker, the role demanded courage from the actor because of its intense emotional and psychological depth. "This is probably one of the most difficult decisions NTR had to take as an actor. The character, Luger, is far darker than anything I've written before, and for a star of his magnitude to accept such a risky role is incredibly brave," he said.
The director also revealed that the team spent several years shaping the emotional reasoning behind the character's actions. "It took us almost three years to arrive at the emotional reasoning behind why this character does what he does. When everything finally fell into place, he simply said, 'Let's do it,' despite knowing how challenging and unexpected it would be for his audience," he added.
Prashanth Neel further shared in an interview that his childhood emotions are a big part of his movies, and in 'Dragon', it is his biggest strength. "My childhood basically becomes my biggest emotion in my movies, and in 'Dragon' also it is my biggest strength," he said.
Release Date
'Dragon' is scheduled to release in theatres on June 11, 2027.
