Ranveer Singh as Lord Shiva? Amish Tripathi breaks silence on The Immortals of Meluha movie rights

Reports of Ranveer acquiring rights of The Immortals of Meluha

The clarification comes after several media reports suggested that Ranveer had secured the rights to the acclaimed fantasy series under his production banner, Maa Kasam Films, and was developing it as an ambitious cinematic universe in collaboration with Birla Studios. Some reports even claimed that the actor would essay the role of Lord Shiva, with the first film expected to go on floors in 2028.

According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, Ranveer Singh had long dreamt of playing Lord Shiva on screen and was deeply fascinated by the world of The Immortals of Meluha ever since Sanjay Leela Bhansali was developing the project.

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The report quoted a source as saying, “Ranveer Singh was to lead Immortals of Meluha for Sanjay Leela Bhansali. However, the project never materialised. But the actor was always fascinated by the world, and had the dream of playing Lord Shiva in the spectacle. The minute rights of Immortal of Meluha expired on Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ranveer went ahead and procured it under his own banner – Maa Kasam Films.”

However, Amish’s latest statement has now shut down all speculation surrounding the project.

About The Immortals of Meluha

Originally published in 2010, The Immortals of Meluha is the first installment in Amish Tripathi’s hugely popular Shiva Trilogy, followed by The Secret of the Nagas and The Oath of the Vayuputras. The fantasy-fiction saga reimagines Hindu mythology and follows Shiva, a Tibetan tribal chief, who arrives in the near-perfect land of Meluha, a society inspired by the Indus Valley Civilization and believed to have been established by Lord Ram. Over time, Shiva is identified as the prophesied saviour, the Neelkanth, and becomes central to Meluha’s battle against evil forces including the Chandravanshis and Nagas.

Past attempts to adapt the trilogy for the screen

Despite its immense popularity and cinematic potential, the trilogy has struggled to make it to the screen. Over the past decade, several high-profile filmmakers have attempted to adapt the books, but every version eventually stalled. Back in 2012, Karan Johar had acquired the rights to adapt the trilogy, with Karan Malhotra attached to direct the ambitious project. However, the film was later shelved amid concerns over possible backlash regarding the depiction of an Indian deity on screen.

Once the rights reverted, Sanjay Leela Bhansali reportedly acquired them, but that version too failed to move forward.

In 2022, Amish Tripathi officially announced a web series adaptation alongside filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and director Suparn Varma. Producer Roy Price was attached to back the project under International Arts Machine as part of the company’s entry into Indian entertainment. Yet, despite the announcement and the scale promised, that adaptation also never materialised, with the rights eventually returning to the author once again.

Ranveer Singh’s next project

Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh continues to dominate headlines following the historic success of Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which has emerged as one of Indian cinema’s biggest blockbusters. He will next be seen in filmmaker Jai Mehta’s big-budget post-apocalyptic zombie thriller Pralay, which is expected to go on floors in 2026.