By Mudit Bhatnagar

Copyright timesnownews

Dinesh Vijan, the man behind Maddock Films, is gearing up for his boldest project yet, and he’s calling it nothing short of “world-class.” At WAVES 2025, on May 2, the producer shared his thoughts on storytelling rooted in Indian culture and dropped a major update on Vicky Kaushal’s upcoming film, Mahavatar. “I think we’re in a very interesting space,” Dinesh said while discussing how Indian cinema is slowly finding its true voice. He pointed out that regions making global waves first win over their own audiences. “Post-pandemic, we’re finally getting our act together. We’re understanding that stories need to be made for the common man.” Using successful films like Stree 2 and Chhaava as examples, Dinesh highlighted the difference between urban audiences and those in smaller towns. According to him, metro audiences tend to wait for the buzz before buying tickets, while people from smaller areas rush to theatres from day one. ALSO READ – WAVES 2025: Aamir Khan Reveals Why India Is Lagging Behind Global Cinema, Makes THIS Request Mahavatar, which was officially announced in November last year, will see Vicky take on the role of Chiranjeevi Parashurama. The project is slated for a Christmas 2026 release. Dinesh teased that Mahavatar will be Maddock Films’ biggest production yet, both in terms of scale and ambition. “In the last 10 years, we are not aspirational to the West. We want stories about ourselves and we are the only country that has such a rich culture,” Dinesh shared. He admitted that filmmakers have often overlooked local stories in search of something grander. “Stree and Chhaava are examples of stories in our culture, as local as it gets. They have exploded.” Building on that success, Dinesh revealed, “The second step, when films do that kind of business in your own market, is that you have the capital to expand. So, we are attempting to make Mahavatar, which is probably the largest film we’ve ever made. We want to make it… there is the technology available to make a world-class film.” With Vicky already proving to be a lucky charm in Maddock’s Chhaava, all eyes are now on Mahavatar, a mythical epic that could redefine Indian cinema’s global presence.