Vivek Agnihotri might collaborate with Karan Johar for 'Mahabharat'
What's the story
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has revealed that he has been working on an adaptation of the Mahabharat for several years. In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, he said this project would be his last film because he believes it would be impossible to surpass such a monumental work. He also hinted at the possibility of collaborating with Karan Johar. "If Karan offers to produce Mahabharat for me, why would I say no...of course, our visions would have to align."
Project details
Agnihotri is adapting SL Bhyrappa's book 'Parva'
Agnihotri revealed he is adapting his Mahabharat from a book by SL Bhyrappa called Parva. He described it as one of the best interpretations of the Mahabharat among thousands of others. "One of the most revered and respected interpretations," he added. The director also shared that Bhyrappa had asked him to make a movie based on this book, which led him to acquire its rights.
Commercial projects
'You can't make 'Ramayan,' 'Mahabharat' commercial projects'
Agnihotri also took a dig at the recent big-budget adaptations of the Ramayana, such as Prabhas's Adipurush and an upcoming film starring Ranbir Kapoor. He said that a mythological adaptation cannot be mounted like a "commercial project." "The thing is, you can't make stories based on the Ramayan and the Mahabharat as commercial projects. If you do, you'll get into trouble one way or another," he said.
Director's philosophy
Agnihotri doesn't want to make a 'big-budget' 'Mahabharat'
Agnihotri further elaborated on his vision for the Mahabharat adaptation, saying, "You don't need a grand scale. Bhakti doesn't have a budget." "People will find God in a rock, and they'll view expensive temples as museums if they want to." "I don't want my Mahabharat to be a 'film,' with stars and a budget and everything that comes along with it."
Career trajectory
'The Bengal Files' will create even bigger controversy than 'Kashmir'
Agnihotri, who previously worked as a director for hire, moved away from commercial cinema with his controversial film The Kashmir Files. Despite facing backlash for allegedly promoting hate speech and propagandist ideas, he stood by his work. He has also predicted that his new film The Bengal Files will create an even bigger controversy, which releases on September 5.