EXCLUSIVE: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra ropes in cinematographer Ravi Varman for Suriya’s Karna; On floors in 2024

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has begun preparation for his next mythological epic, Karna; Looking to take the film on floors in 2024

By Rahul Raut

Published on Sep 30, 2023 | 05:55 PM IST | 349K

EXCLUSIVE: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra ropes in cinematographer Ravi Varman for Suriya’s Karna; On floors in 2024 (Picture Courtesy: Instagram)

Rang De Basanti and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has been trying to put together an ambitious movie on Karna for many years now. The filmmaker plans to adapt the Hindu epic Mahabharata from the perspective of Karna and has envisioned it as a two-parter. While the movie hasn’t been officially announced yet, Mehra is neck-deep in preparation at the office of his producers, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. And now, Pinkvilla has exclusively learnt that Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has roped in ace cinematographer Ravi Varman for Karna.

“Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has envisioned Karna on an unprecedented scale and wants the finest technical team to ensure his vision shines on screen as planned. Ravi Varman is widely known for creating both realistic and poetic visual compositions and has already proved his mastery at work with his wide-ranging filmography, which boasts of movies like Anniyan, Barfi, Jagga Jasoos, Sanju, and the recent Mani Ratnam historical epic, Ponniyin Selvan. Ravi Varman's expertise aligns perfectly with Mehra's vision, and both are eager to present Karna's captivating story in all its glory to the world,” a source close to the development told us.

Tamil superstar Suriya might play Karna in Mehra's mythological epic

The makers haven't locked the cast yet but are in discussion with Tamil superstar Suriya to headline this big-scale epic. Mehra and his team have begun preparation and are eyeing taking it on the floor by July 2024. “A prominent Hollywood studio has been brought on board to bring Mehra's vision to fruition. They are working on the film's design, VFX, and architecture and have already created the pre-visualized city of Hastinapur, the ancient city where the Mahabharata happened. It’s a project that requires intense pre-production work to get every crucial aspect right, and the makers are fully immersed in that,” the source told us, further adding that Mehra has developed this two-part film with Anand Nilakantan and a team of writers after years of intense research and groundwork to ensure historical accuracy and authenticity.

Meanwhile, Suriya has multiple projects up his sleeve, and it’s yet to be seen if he manages to give dates for Karna in the aforementioned timeline. Suriya is currently shooting for the historical drama Kanguva and starts Sudha Kongra’s action drama with Dulquer Salmaan in November. He is also committed to Vetrimaran’s Vaadivaasal and Lokesh Kanagraj’s Rolex, and he is additionally talking to Akhanda director Boyapati Srinu for a movie. If Suriya agrees to star in Karna, it will mark his debut in the Hindi film industry.

We reached out to the representatives of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Excel Entertainment for confirmation. However, we are yet to hear back from them.

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