Director Shankar confirms ‘Velpari’ as his next project after ‘Indian 3’

Shankar; an illustration from ‘Veera Yuga Nayagan Velpari.’
| Photo Credit: Thamodharan B/The Hindu and Special Arrangement

Director Shankar has confirmed that his next project, after Indian 3, will be the feature adaptation of Tamil author Su Venkatesan’s popular historical novel, ‘Veera Yuga Nayagan Velpari.’

While addressing the media in Chennai, ahead of the release of his Telugu film Game Changer, Shankar restated that his next project wouldn’t be the previously-announced Anniyan remake with Ranveer Singh, but the feature adaptation of ‘Velpari.’ “Velpari is a dream project of mine. I want to take my time to explore all the unexplored sides of myself with this project. The script work is done and it will be a three-part film. It is a mammoth project that will require a big budget. We are yet to hold the discussions that would bring shape to this project,” he said.

In September last year, Shankar, who holds the rights to Venkatesan’s book, had expressed his displeasure with the unauthorised use of content from the Tamil novel in movies, alleging that a recent movie had ripped off a key scene from the novel. When asked for an update on the issue, Shankar refused to divulge more information. “Yes, watching those scenes distressed me but I can only tell them not to do this, isn’t it?” he added.

‘Veera Yuga Nayagan Velpari,’ published in 2019, is based on Tamil Sangam literature and revolves around a tribal king, popularly known as ‘Mullaikku Thaer Kodutha Paari,’ who ruled Parambu. The king, known for his valour, could not be defeated by any individual or even by the collective efforts of Cheras, Cholas and Pandiyas. In the end, the king was defeated only by conspiracy.

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Shankar had earlier said that he came across the novel during the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown and was impressed by the story and its potential. While he had earlier confirmed his plans to make a three-part feature adaptation, there hasn’t been any update since the announcement. Fans of Shankar and Venkatesan’s novel can now rejoice as the film might materialise within this year.

Meanwhile, Shankar, whose last release was Indian 2, has Game Changer set to release next week, on January 10. Headlined by Ram Charan, the film marks Shankar’s debut in Telugu.