Tovino Thomas Opts Out of NTR–Prashanth Neel Film Due to Date Issues

Tovino Thomas has opted out of Jr NTR’s upcoming pan-India film, tentatively titled Dragon, which is being directed by Prashanth Neel. The Malayalam star was widely expected to make his Tollywood debut with the project, reportedly playing the antagonist opposite NTR, with a major face-off sequence planned in Jordan.

Confirming the development, Tovino revealed that he had to step away from the film due to scheduling constraints. He stated that committing to a long-duration project in Telugu cinema proved difficult given his existing commitments in Malayalam films.

“It is hard to allocate dates for the film. I am not doing it. I would love to do Telugu films. In the Malayalam industry, the working culture is very different. In Telugu, we shoot in multiple schedules, whereas in Malayalam we usually complete films in a single stretch,” he said during a recent media interaction.

He further explained his approach to work, saying, “I don’t like doing multiple films at the same time. I prefer completing one film before moving on to the next. That’s how I’ve managed my career so far. Telugu films are bigger in scale, and doing one project would affect my commitments back home. It’s very hard to break those commitments.”

The Minnal Murali actor has taken a clear stand on prioritizing his schedule and maintaining his working style, even if it means stepping away from big-ticket opportunities. It remains unclear whether the makers required extended dates from Tovino or if the film’s schedule clashed significantly with his lineup.