SS Rajamouli has previously spoken of his desire to adapt Mahabharata to the big screen as a huge five-part epic. But in a surprising twist, Tamil director Lingusamy is set to attempt his own expensive adaptation of the epic. His take, as per reports, will be divided into two parts with a mind-boggling ₹700 crore budget, revolving around the iconic warriors Arjuna and Abhimanyu.
The most important question in this project is who would play Arjuna and Abhimanyu. There are reports that Lingusamy is looking at one top Tamil hero and a top Telugu hero for these key roles. Though the scope of the project is certainly large, there is doubt if Lingusamy can pull off a big mythological film successfully.
In spite of his achievement in commercial cinema, Lingusamy has more recently suffered from a series of flops and thus raises a question whether he is the apt person to adapt a mythology-packed, VFX-oriented spectacle. Also, Tamil filmmakers have perennially been poor at handling big-budget, CGI-heavy productions and hence leaves many questioning whether the adaptation will meet audience expectations.
Securing the enormous ₹700 crore investment is one of the greatest concerns. Can Lingusamy persuade producers to support such a massive project, considering his recent past track record?
Pre-production is in full gear, according to insiders, yet there are doubts aplenty. Most fans think only Rajamouli has the know-how to give Mahabharata the grand treatment on screen.
Will Lingusamy’s take on Mahabharata break the rulebook and rewrite history, or is it yet another pipe dream? Only time will tell.