For years, only two names have been seriously associated with the idea of adapting the Indian epic Mahabharata into a large-scale cinematic experience: Bollywood’s Aamir Khan and Tollywood’s S.S. Rajamouli.
Both have publicly spoken about their desire to bring this monumental story to the big screen, but now, a third contender has officially joined the race — Kannappa director Mukesh Kumar Singh.
For Rajamouli, Mahabharata is not just a film but a sacred mission. He has called it his ultimate dream project; one he intends to tackle only after further growth as a filmmaker.
He sees it as a once-in-a-lifetime responsibility, demanding spiritual and cinematic maturity. Given the scale of his past works like Baahubali and RRR, expectations are sky-high.
Aamir Khan, meanwhile, has already begun developing his version. He’s working with a team of writers and has made it clear that he’s in no rush. Crafting a script worthy of Mahabharata’s legacy, he says, will take time.
Interestingly, some have speculated whether Aamir and Rajamouli might collaborate — with the latter directing Aamir’s version. However, this seems unlikely, especially as Rajamouli reportedly prefers a Telugu actor to portray Krishna, a preference that may not align with other production teams’ plans.
Now, Mukesh Kumar Singh — currently busy promoting this week’s release Kannappa directed by him— has entered the arena.
Speaking recently, Mukesh Kumar Singh revealed that he has been developing a Mahabharata adaptation for quite some time and is already in the pre-production stage. Importantly, he brings prior experience to the table, having directed the acclaimed Mahabharata TV series that aired on Star Plus.
Mukesh emphasizes that while grand visuals and high-end VFX are important, they should never overshadow the core narrative.
“The soul of Mahabharata must remain intact, no matter how visually grand the film is,” he said — a sentiment likely to resonate with purists and fans alike.
With three vastly different cinematic minds now actively pursuing Mahabharata, the question isn’t just who will do it best — but who will do it first.
And given Mukesh Kumar Singh’s head start in pre-production, his version might just beat Aamir’s and Rajamouli’s to the finish line. However, all depends on Kannappa’s result at the box office.
