For the past few days, rumours have been rife that Ranveer Singh will star in a film adaptation of The Immortals of Meluha, written by Amish Tripathi. Social media was flooded with claims that the actor had secured the rights to the popular mythological novel and that the project was being planned as a big-budget trilogy, with Ranveer expected to play Lord Shiva. However, the book's author has reacted to the claims.
Will Ranveer Singh star in the Meluha trilogy?
Author Amish Tripathi has clarified that no one has acquired the rights to his Meluha trilogy. Speaking to Variety India, Amish confirmed that no deal has been signed yet for any screen adaptation of the Shiva Trilogy. “The rights for the Shiva Trilogy are with me. And nothing has been signed with anyone as yet. Of course, I have huge respect for Ranveer, and am a big fan of his. But this news is not true,” he said.
The Shiva Trilogy remains one of the most popular mythological fiction series in India. Written by Amish Tripathi, the trilogy includes The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, and The Oath of the Vayuputras.
Karan Johar had once acquired the rights to The Immortals of Meluha
Interestingly, this is not the first time an adaptation of the books has been discussed. Back in 2012, Karan Johar had acquired the rights to The Immortals of Meluha with plans to turn it into a large-scale film directed by Karan Malhotra. But the project never moved forward and was eventually shelved amid concerns over possible backlash around portraying an Indian God on screen.
Years later, in 2022, Amish Tripathi officially announced a web series adaptation of the novel alongside Shekhar Kapur and Suparn Varma. Producer Roy Price was also attached to the project under International Arts Machine as part of the company’s entry into Indian entertainment. However, that adaptation, too, failed to materialise, and the rights eventually reverted back to Amish Tripathi.
For now, despite the fresh rumours doing the rounds online, there is no confirmed film or series adaptation of The Immortals of Meluha in development. Neither Ranveer nor his team have reacted to the same.