Sandeep Raj opens up on emotional toll of ‘Mowgli’ release delay: Maybe I Am the Bad Luck
Director Sandeep Raj has shared an emotional note reflecting on the prolonged delay in the release of his upcoming film Mowgli, revealing the personal and professional pain he is currently going through. While his earlier film Colour Photo also faced unexpected hurdles, Sandeep says his present anguish is deeply tied to the uncertainty surrounding Mowgli’s release.
In a candid statement, the filmmaker questioned his own fate in the industry, writing, “Maybe Colour Photo and Mowgli deserved another director instead of me.” He pointed out a painful pattern, both films ran into severe trouble at a time when everything seemed to be moving in the right direction. “The common points between both films are facing bad luck just when everything seemed to be going well… and me. Maybe I am the bad luck,” he added.
What hurts the most for Sandeep Raj is not just the professional setback, but the weight of responsibility he feels toward his team. The director described Mowgli as a film made with “passion, sweat, and blood” by a group of dedicated technicians and artists. He especially mentioned Roshan, Saroj garu, Sakshi, Harsha, cinematographer Maruthi, Bhairava, and several others who worked tirelessly on the project.
“My dream of seeing the title ‘Directed by Sandeep Raj’ on the big screen is becoming harder day by day,” he wrote, expressing how the continued delay has shaken his confidence. In a line that reflects both pain and helplessness, he added, “I think the silver screen hates me,” ending the thought with a faint smile emoji that barely hides the emotional weight behind the words.
However, Sandeep made it clear that his biggest concern is not his own career graph, but the fate of Mowgli and the people who believed in it. “I truly hope that all good things happen to Mowgli at the very least for their sake,” he said, making an emotional appeal for the film’s release and success.
In response to Sandeep Raj’s emotional post about the delay of Mowgli, the comment section quickly turned into a powerful public discussion on the deep-rooted issue of casteism in the Telugu film industry, with several users claiming that the industry is “plagued by casteism” that decide opportunities, promotions, and even releases; while some directly connected the repeated hurdles faced by Sandeep to systemic bias rather than bad luck, many others strongly stood by the director, expressing solidarity, praising his honesty, and assuring him that his talent and sincerity would eventually prevail over structural discrimination, turning the moment into both an outpouring of support and a rare, open call to confront caste-based gatekeeping in Telugu cinema.
As Mowgli continues to wait for its release, Sandeep Raj’s words capture the silent burden filmmakers carry, the fear of letting down the very people who stood beside them in the toughest conditions, driven only by their shared love for cinema.
