Ennu Ninte Moideen director RS Vimal, will be directing a mega trilingual project based on one of the most celebrated Mahabharatha characters, Karna. The project, titled Karnan, was announced at an event in Dubai on January 15. It will star Vimal’s Prithviraj in the titular role. The film will be made in Malayalam, Hindi and Tamil, and the prominent roles in the film will be played by actors with a pan-India appeal. The film’s cinematography will be handled by KK Senthil Kumar, who has worked on the Baahubali crew.
“Karnan is the epitome of my idea of heroism. He has always been my favourite hero, right from my childhood. Every folklore and epic, in every language, calls him an ideal hero,” Vimal told Silverscreen.in. “I always wanted to make a film on him. And after the success of Ennu Ninte Moideen, I felt it was the right time to do it. This film will be from my point of view, how I look at this hero from the Mahabharatha.” The film’s script has been completed, and the team is now working on the digital storyboard.
“We haven’t reached on an exact budget figure yet. It will depend on what the script demands. The film will have VFX, stunts, and production design handled by foreign technicians. This will be made on a scale that Malayalam cinema has never seen before,” Vimal said. Karnan will be produced by Venu Kunnappilly.
While Prithviraj plays Karnan, non-Malayalee actors will play pivotal characters like Duryodhana and Arjuna. “I couldn’t imagine anyone else as Karna. Prithvi has been associated with this film right from the beginning. I wanted someone young and energetic to play Karnan, and Prithvi fits the role perfectly,” Vimal said. The film will be shot in Jaipur, Varanas,i and other locations across India.
The team has already released the motion first look of the film.
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In the Indian epic Mahabharatha, Karna is the son of Surya (Sun) and princess Kunthi. He is adopted by Adhiratha, King Dhritharashtra’s charioteer. An earlier cinematic rendition of the story was directed by Mani Ratnam as Thalapathy. The film was a modern-day take on Karna’s relationship with Duryodhana, and starred Rajinikanth as Surya (Karna), and Mammootty as Devarajan (Duryodhana).
Meanwhile, reports suggest that actor-director P Sreekumar is working on a film based on the Mahabharatha hero, with Mammootty in the role. “I heard another project on Karnan is being planned, but I do not have time to think about it since I am busy with my film,” said Vimal. The director is also planning to remake Ennu Ninte Moideen in Tamil. “That will happen after Karnan,” he said.
Direor Hariharan’s Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, starring Mammootty in the titular role, is the most expensive film made in Malayalam till date. Pazhassi Raja, a historical drama based on the life of Raja Pazhassi, was made at a budget of Rs 27 crore.