Rakshit Shetty – Kiccha Sudeep collaboration, Thugs of Malgudi, abandoned?

In 2017, Rakshit Shetty announced that he would direct Kiccha Sudeep in a film called Thugs of Malgudi, which would explore the controversial Thugs, or Thugees - gangs of ‘robbers and murderes’ that the British exterminated in the early 19th Century. Indian historians believe that the concept was a British creation to destroy anyone and anything that opposed them. Rakshit’s film was to throw light on what and who the Thugs really were, as the British version of events is widely considered one-sided.

However, in the years since, the duo never actually got around to taking the project on floors – each busy with other commitments. In the past, Rakshit has been quoted as saying that Thugs of Malgudi is a subject that he would like to visit at some point, but that his busy schedule and that of Sudeep too does not make it feasible for a few years, at least. In fact, recently Rakshit revealed his slate of upcoming films, which included Richard Anthony, a two-part Punyakoti and Midway to Moksha too, all of which would be his directorials. It is believed that this slate will keep Rakshit busy for the next 5-10 years, at least. Where does that leave Thugs of Malgudi then?

Rakshit was one of the many guests at the trailer launch of Kiccha Sudeep’s Vikrant Rona last year, which had rekindled hopes among fans that a collaboration could be on the cards after all. In fact, 2022 would have been a good time to take it forward, considering that Rakshit had a lot of time between schedules of his Hemanth Rao film Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, and that Sudeep is yet to begin work on his next. Vikrant Rona released in July last year. But as it stands now, it looks unlikely that the film will ever get done.