Jr NTR’s shoulder surgery has resulted in adjustments to the shooting schedule of his upcoming film Dragon, though production is not expected to stop completely while the actor recovers. With NTR likely to need two to three months to return to his usual routine, director Prashanth Neel is expected to use the period to make progress on the pre-production of Salaar 2: Shouryaanga Parvam.
The injury means scenes in Dragon that feature NTR will need to be rescheduled. However, a source close to the project said the team intends to continue filming portions that can be completed without the actor.
PRASHANTH NEEL TO ADVANCE SALAAR 2 WORK
With NTR temporarily away from filming, Neel is expected to split his time between the two projects and use the break to move forward with writing and pre-production for Salaar 2, his next film with Prabhas.
“Neel garu had anyway planned to move into the next phase of Salaar 2 after completing Dragon. With NTR garu now needing time to recover, he has a window to push the pre-production of Salaar 2 forward. He plans to use this period for writing, action planning, pre-visualisation and other groundwork while the Dragon team continues with work that does not require NTR,” the source said.
The source clarified that Neel will remain involved with Dragon and that filming will continue around NTR’s recovery timeline.
“It is not that Dragon has come to a complete standstill. There is a lot of work that can happen without NTR garu, and the team will continue with those portions. The schedule will obviously be adjusted around his recovery, but we are not looking at this as a situation where the entire film has to stop,” the source added.
This arrangement will allow Neel to oversee Dragon sequences that can be shot without NTR while simultaneously preparing Salaar 2.
NTR’S RECOVERY REMAINS THE PRIORITY
According to sources, the makers do not intend to bring NTR back to the sets before he has fully recovered. Given the physically demanding nature of Dragon, the actor is expected to take the necessary time before resuming his portions.
“Right now, NTR garu’s recovery is the most important thing. Nobody wants to rush him back onto a physically demanding set, especially given the scale and nature of Dragon. Neel garu is completely on the same page about giving him the time he needs to recover properly,” the source said.
The recovery window could also provide Neel with additional time to develop the action sequences for Salaar 2, which are expected to involve extensive preparation.
“Salaar 2 is a very ambitious film, and the action blocks require extensive preparation. Neel garu plans to use this window to sit with his team, work out the sequences and get the pre-production in place. By the time NTR garu is ready to resume Dragon, Neel garu will make considerable progress on Salaar 2,” the source said.
WILL DRAGON’S RELEASE DATE BE AFFECTED?
Dragon marks the first collaboration between NTR and Neel. Its first glimpse, released on NTR’s birthday in May, introduced the actor as Luger and offered a preview of the period action drama.
The film also stars Rukmini Vasanth, Anil Kapoor and others and is currently scheduled to arrive in theatres in June 2027. The timeline gives the makers some flexibility to accommodate changes caused by NTR’s injury.
At present, the production does not expect the revised shooting schedule to impact the announced release date.
“This is more of a scheduling adjustment than a setback for Dragon. The film has a fairly long runway before its theatrical release, so at this stage it would be premature to say that the film’s release will be affected. The immediate focus is on reorganising the schedule and making the best use of the time available. The team will take a call on the subsequent schedules once NTR garu is ready to return,” the source said.
NTR, who was filming Dragon in late July, suffered a shoulder injury during production. He underwent arthroscopic surgery at KIMS Hospitals in Secunderabad on August 12. The procedure was successful, and doctors said the actor was doing well and is expected to return to his normal routine within two to three months.
