"We trusted Aditya Chopra blindly, but it misfired": Producer Naga Vasmi breaks silence on War 2 failure

Producer Naga Vamsi has finally spoken up about the much-discussed failure of War 2, a film that was expected to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. Directed by Ayan Mukerji and starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, and Kiara Advani, the film was meant to be a landmark in the YRF Spy Universe. Instead, it fell flat at the box office despite a massive opening. During a recent chat with director Kalyan Shankar on Sithara Entertainments’ YouTube channel, Vamsi candidly reflected on what went wrong. He admitted that both he and Jr NTR had put their faith completely in producer Aditya Chopra and Yash Raj Films, but things didn’t go as planned.

"Mistakes do happen. Everyone makes mistakes at some point in time. Aditya Chopra garu is the biggest producer in Indian cinema. NTR Anna and I trusted YRF blindly, but it misfired."

- Naga Vamsi

“We Faced the Heat”: Vamsi’s Honest Confession

Vamsi’s remarks subtly pointed to the creative and production missteps on YRF’s end, though he maintained a lighthearted tone while recalling the aftermath. “The mistake is on their side, but we faced the heat (laughs). We didn’t make the film. I’m happy that the trolling we faced wasn’t for a film made by us,” he added.

War 2 had all the ingredients for success: a star-studded cast, high-octane action, and a massive Rs 400 crore budget, yet it couldn’t sustain momentum after its first weekend. The film opened strongly with Rs 52 crore on its first day but quickly declined following poor word of mouth. In the end, it managed Rs 236.55 crore net in India and Rs 364.35 crore worldwide, falling short of expectations.

What’s Next for Naga Vamsi

For Yash Raj Films, War 2 was the sixth film in their ambitious Spy Universe, which includes hits like Ek Tha Tiger, Pathaan, and Tiger Zinda Hai. However, the underperformance of this high-budget spectacle has raised questions about the franchise’s future direction.

Naga Vamsi, meanwhile, seems to have moved on swiftly. The producer is now promoting his upcoming Telugu film Mass Jathara, directed by Bhanu Bhogavarapu and starring Ravi Teja, Sreeleela, and Nitish Nirmal. The film is set to release on October 31, and Vamsi appears optimistic about starting fresh this time with lessons learned from the War 2 debacle.