Hyderabad: Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas is all set to make his debut in Telugu cinema with director Prashanth Neel's next big-budget pan-India project, tentatively titled NTRNeel or Dragon. The film has Jr NTR in the lead role and already generated huge buzz for its star-studded lineup and massive scale.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) shared a picture of Tovino Thomas alongside director Prashanth Neel, confirming their first collaboration in the upcoming project. While recent reports suggest that Jr NTR has already started filming for this project in January in Karnataka's Mangalore, more notable cast members are rumoured to join the film.
Actor Rukmini Vasanth, too, would be making a Telugu film debut with this project. She last appeared in the Prashanth Neel-written action thriller Bagheera. Meanwhile, seasoned actor Biju Menon returns to the Telugu cinema after nearly two decades. He was last seen in the films Ranam and Khatarnak, released in the year 2006.
Tovino Thomas's latest film Identity, which was released on January 2, 2025, seems to be getting good collections in the theatres. The collaboration between Tovino Thomas, Jr NTR and Prashanth Neel marks a major milestone in Indian cinema. Prashanth Neel, celebrated for his blockbuster hits like the KGF franchise and Salaar, continues to be one of the most sought-after directors in the industry. NTRNeel/Dragon is slated for a theatrical release on January 9, 2026.
READ MORE
