Director Sampath Nandi, who has been well known for his innovative narration and commercial successes, spoke about the rumors surrounding his film Ganja Shankar recently. It was announced with Sai Dharam Tej being the lead. The movie made waves immediately after its glimpse got a marvelous response, but since there were no updates regarding the progress of the film, it was assumed by many that the project was shelved.
During a press meet for his upcoming film Odela 2, Sampath Nandi addressed the matter and confirmed that Ganja Shankar had been shelved. Sharing the reasons, he revealed, “After announcing the title, we received notices from the authorities. Notices were served to me, the producer, and the actor, asking us not to use the word ‘Ganja’ in the title. They also suggested changing the title entirely,” he shared.
He further elaborated on the decision to halt the project. “The film was conceptualized to deliver a strong anti-drug message. However, repeatedly explaining the narrative’s intent to the authorities didn’t seem practical. As someone who values impactful storytelling, I felt it was better to stop the project instead of diluting its essence,” Sampath Nandi explained.