SSMB29’s planned shoot in Kenya has been cancelled due to ongoing protests.
The highly awaited African shoot for SS Rajamouli’s new action epic, SSMB29, featuring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra, has been shelved following the rising civil unrest in Kenya.
Production was scheduled to begin mid-July, with Kenya’s scenic terrain chosen as a key backdrop. However, the country’s current political tension and widespread anti-government protests forced a sudden halt to the plans.
The now-infamous Saba Saba demonstrations, marked by violence, roadblocks, and internet shutdowns, made the environment unsafe for international filming.
A production team insider revealed, “After July 7, the situation grew tense. Rajamouli sir didn’t want to take risks with his team’s safety. Everything became unpredictable.”
While Kenya is off the table, the production isn’t leaving the continent. Rajamouli is now looking into Tanzania and South Africa as possible replacements. These countries offer a similar landscape depth needed for the film’s sweeping adventure scenes.
Permit processes are already in motion, with the team hoping to resume shooting before the end of July, preferably in South Africa’s highlands.
SSMB29 follows Mahesh Babu as a globe-trotting explorer, with the film being compared to an Indian version of Indiana Jones. This marks Rajamouli’s first project since his global hit RRR, and expectations are sky-high.
Though Kenya’s political situation cut the original plans short, Rajamouli’s vision for an African cinematic journey lives on, just on safer, steadier ground.
