Hyderabad |"Devara", starring Jr NTR in the lead, will be released in two parts, director Koratala Siva announced on Wednesday.

Billed as an high-octane action drama set in the forgotten coastal lands of India, the Telugu film also features Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor. The first part of the movie will hit the screens on April 5, 2024.

In a video shared on the official X page of "Devara", Siva said they decided to release the film in two parts as the canvas had become "too big" for the story to be narrated well in one full-length feature.

"The film is set against the forgotten lands of coastal India and the canvas is too big. As we started shooting the film, the canvas revealed itself and started getting bigger and bigger. Every character in the film has its own weight and they need to be explored and established in depth and in detail, which we can't justify in one part.

"So, we took the decision to tell this big story and canvas in two parts. The story won't change in shape but will thrive in scale. One of the biggest canvases ever of 'Devara' will be done in two parts and April 5, 2024, is just the beginning," the filmmaker said in the clip.

"Devara" is produced by Yuvasudha Arts and NTR Arts, and presented by Nandamuri Kalyana Ram.