Deverakonda’s ‘Kingdom’ postponed; actor rues missed opportunity with ‘Oke Oka Jeevitham’

Vijay Deverakonda’s much-awaited spy action thriller Kingdom, directed by Gowtham Tinnanuri, has officially been postponed. Initially slated for an earlier release, the film will now hit theatres on July 4, 2025. The delay hasn’t dampened fans’ excitement, as Kingdom remains one of the most eagerly anticipated films of this year.

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In a recent conversation with Cinema Vikatan, Vijay shared insights about a film he nearly took on—Oke Oka Jeevitham (released as Kanam in Tamil). Directed by Shree Karthick, the emotional sci-fi drama eventually starred Sharwanand. Vijay revealed that the script was narrated to him multiple times and that he was deeply interested, even considering producing the film. However, he ultimately felt he wasn’t the right choice for the lead role. Though he wished to support the project as a producer, that idea didn’t materialize after producer SR Prabhu decided to take it forward himself.

Oke Oka Jeevitham was released in 2022 to critical acclaim—ironically, just a month after Vijay’s own film Liger premiered, which turned out to be a significant disappointment in his career.

Looking ahead, Vijay is gearing up for several projects, including collaborations with directors Rahul Sankrityan and Ravi Kiran Kola—the latter titled Rowdy Janardhan. Additionally, a sequel to Kingdom is already in development, promising more action-packed entertainment for fans.