TV
National Award-winning filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri is all set for the release of his upcoming 'The Bengal Files'. Amid the stirring controversies surrounding his film, the filmmaker has announced his version of the cinematic adaptation of the Indian epic Mahabharat. This announcement comes at a time when Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has already announced that he will soon begin work on his own Mahabharat.
Vivek Agnihotri Opens Up About Making Mahabharat
During a conversation with Siddharth Kanan, Vivek Agnihotri opened up about his dream project.
Agnihotri said, "I’ve been working for several years on an adaptation of the Mahabharat, based on a book by SL Bhyrappa, called 'Parva'. It’s considered to be one of the greatest interpretations of the Mahabharat, out of thousands of interpretations. One of the most revered and respected interpretations. He asked me to make a movie on it, and I got the rights."
During the conversation, he also said that his heart tells him that he should move away from politics.
The Kashmir Files maker further said, "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.”
Furthermore, Agnihotri said that Bhakti doesn't have a budget and he doesn't want his Mahabharat to be a film.
"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. If it was a film for me, I would’ve made it already."
Mahabharat to Be Agnihotri's Last Film!
Agnihotri also said that after Mahabharat, he won't do anything else, though he won't retire.
"It’s a personal experience for me, and after this, I won’t do anything else. That will be the last work of my life. I won’t retire, but how can anybody ever top the Mahabharat?”
When asked if he would ever want to collaborate with Karan Johar on a project, Agnihotri said, “Why not? If Karan offers to produce Mahabharat for me, why would I say no? If he needs a director who can do the job, and if I can get the production support that he can bring, why not? Of course, our visions would have to align.”
The Unexpected Collaboration
The news has sent shockwaves through cinephiles, as Agnihotri is known for his politically charged, research-heavy narratives. On the other hand, KJo is celebrated for his grand, glossy spectacles and rarely operates in the same creative orbit.
Clash of the Titans?
With Aamir Khan simultaneously working on his own Mahabharat, the stage is set for one of the biggest cinematic rivalries in Indian history. Moreover, reports have been abuzz about ace South filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli's Mahabharat. However, one thing is common between Aamir Khan, S.S. Rajamouli, and Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and their Mahabharat: the cinematic adaptation of the Indian epic could possibly be their last project.
