Mahabharata producer, Dr. B. R. Shetty reveals his vision for the magnum opus

To target multi-country, multi-platform release

In the first interaction with international media held today at Abu Dhabi, the producer, Dr. B.R. Shetty, UAE-based billionaire businessman and philanthropist and the director, V.A. Shrikumar Menon, shared their vision and plans to build the US$150 million Mahabharata into a billion dollar franchise. The announcement of the magnum opus had earlier created waves in the international entertainment media.

Dr. B.R. Shetty said, “I have always been proud of our rich heritage and culture and have promoted Indian culture for over four decades. Like millions of Indians, I have been immersed in the teachings of the Mahabharata ever since I was a child. I remember reading the epic in its simpler form as a boy and being fascinated by the way the battle between good and bad was depicted. Growing up, I continued to find inspiration in its pages whenever I faced a challenge, and the epic never failed in showing me the right direction. It has always been my vision to take this grand epic to the people of the world and this project gives me the opportunity to honour my commitment to the epic.”

Elaborating further on his vision, Dr. B. R. Shetty continued, “The movie will be produced to the best global standards and drawn upon the finest creative and technical talent to ensure a magnum opus of epic proportions that will capture the imagination of a global audience.”

The film will be a coming together of the crème de la crème of the global cinema in terms of its cast and crew. The technical crew would include some of the great names in world cinema including Academy winners. The cast will have the best of talents from Indian cinema as well as some big names from Hollywood. A global team led by an Internationally renowned casting director will handpick the cast. The director, V. A. Shrikumar Menon said that discussions in this regard had already begun with various parties.

Explaining further, he said, “My vision for this magnum opus is to be a rendition of the one of the world’s greatest epics that will take the audience’s breath away. Internationally reknowned Malayalam superstar Mohanlal will be essaying the role of Bhima and has set aside two years for this project. This dedication and investment of time will be required from every actor. We will have the best of global and Indian talent associated with the film. We are paying special attention to the VFX and over 50% of the production budget has been reserved for it to ensure that no corners are cut in delivering a dazzling visual experience.”

‘Mahabharata’ is to be made with master versions in three languages, i.e. Malayalam, English and Hindi. It will be dubbed and sub-titled in all Indian languages as well as major foreign languages.

Elaborating on the plans for distribution of the film, V. A. Shrikumar Menon said, “We will soon be announcing specific additions to the team in the areas of marketing and distribution to build global alliances to ensure ‘Mahabharata’ reaches audiences worldwide. We aim to have a large global release worthy of the film, targeting multi-country and multi-platform releases as also international franchises across its lifetime. We will begin showcasing the project at major film markets across the world soon.”

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