Kamal Ghorui
Ranveer Singh may have landed his most ambitious role yet – Lord Shiva.The actor, who has reportedly acquired the rights to the bestselling fantasy novel ‘The Immortals of Meluha’, is said to be gearing up for the big screen adaptation which will be shot under his production banner. As per the latest reports, the ambitious project will be split into a large-scale film trilogy in a mythological cinematic universe.Ranveer Singh acquires rights of ‘The Immortals of Meluha’As per Pinkvilla, Singh is expected to portray Lord Shiva in the trilogy, adapted from author Amish Tripathi‘s work. ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ is the first book in the popular Shiva Trilogy and reimagines Lord Shiva as a heroic figure destined to change the fate of an ancient civilisation.The report further suggests that Singh secured the adaptation rights for a substantial amount, although the exact figure has not been disclosed.Ranveer Singh to back film trilogyA source close to the development alleged that Ranveer has been passionate about bringing Meluha to the big screen for a long time now. “The acquisition happened recently, and the project is now officially under development. Makers are approaching the franchise as a long-term cinematic universe and the plan is to tell the story over 3 films,” the report quotes a source.Production to begin in 2028While the cast has yet to be finalised, the team is beginning work on the screenplay and world-building process. Production on the first instalment is expected to begin in 2028.Akshay Kumar regretted not buying rights to bookAkshay Kumar, who had launched the cover of Amish Tripathi’s book Scion Of Ikshvaku, revealed at the event that when The Immortals Of Meluha had come out, he had been advised to buy the rights, but declined. Talking at the event, he said, ”I still remember that when Amish’s first book on Lord Shiva had come out, I was advised to buy the rights of the book and make a film on it. I had seen the cover of the book and was not convinced that I could play Lord Shiva. However, when Karan Johar later told me about the story, I felt that I actually missed out on something. So the moral of the story – It is good to read books.”Ranveer Singh’s film slateBefore stepping into the world of Meluha, Singh has his hands full with a long list of film projects. The actor, who is fresh out of the back-to-back successes of ‘Dhurandhar’ and ‘Dhurandhar The Revenge’, is expected to begin work on filmmaker Aditya Dhar’s next project from March 2027. The actor is also attached to the zombie film ‘Pralay’, directed by Jay Mehta, which is scheduled to go on floors in August 2026.
