The upcoming Telugu period crime drama KJQ, also known as King Jackie Queen, is currently grabbing headlines ahead of its theatrical release this Friday. Directed by the late filmmaker Kiran Kumar, the movie holds deep emotional value for film buffs because it stands as his final directorial venture before his passing.
During a recent promotional chat hosted by popular director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, a fascinating secret about the project’s long journey came to light. Vanga shared that Kiran Kumar originally wrote the script nearly twelve years ago. At that time, the filmmaker envisioned the movie as a massive star-led project with top actress Anushka Shetty playing the primary lead role.
Back then, the project faced several hurdles and failed to take off as planned. Despite that major setback, the director never gave up on his dream script. He held onto the story and continued refining it over the years, adapting it to fit a new vision. The powerful role initially meant for Anushka eventually transformed into the character now played by Yukti Thareja, shaping the film into the version hitting theatres this week.
Starring Dheekshith Shetty and Shashi Odela alongside Yukti Thareja, the movie also marks the acting debut of Shashi, who is the brother of filmmaker Srikanth Odela. Bankrolled by producer Sudhakar Cherukuri under the SLV Cinemas banner, the film features music composed by Poornachandra Tejaswi. With its unique period backdrop and a heartfelt journey behind its making, fans are eagerly waiting to see how the final product performs on the big screen when it arrives in cinemas in just a couple of days.