Kannada actor Rukmini Vasanth bags Jr NTR and Prashanth Neel's next

(From left) Prashanth Neel and Jr NTR

Months after Jr NTR and filmmaker Prashanth Neel began shooting for their next, the working title of which is NTRNeel, it appears that the team has found its female lead. While rumours earlier suggested that Kannada actor Rukmini Vasanth was to feature in a cameo, mid-day has learnt that she has been roped in as the actioner's female lead.

Rukmini Vasanth

The Telugu offering marks Neel's next after the big-ticket Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire (2023). Set in 1969, it explores the theme of immigration with a larger-than-life hero at its centre. Though it is a testosterone-driven movie, the kind Neel is becoming synonymous with, sources say the female lead influences the narrative.

"With her performance in the two-part romantic drama Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, Rukmini showed that she could shoulder powerful roles. The director was looking for someone who could match Jr NTR's intensity. He felt that Rukmini had potential," reveals a source close to the team.

In March, Neel kicked off the project at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, with the leading man joining the proceedings in the third week of April. The source adds, "Rukmini will join the team in August when key action and emotional sequences will be shot. The unit will shoot across Karnataka and Hyderabad."