Vikram replaces Prithviraj in Rs 300 crore magnum opus ‘Mahavir Karna’

Chiyaan Vikram will be a busy man in 2018. Awaiting the release of Sketch this week, he has two more projects in his kitty. On Sunday, he announced he will be part of Rs 300 crore magnum opus Mahavir Karna, to be directed by RS Vimal, best known for Ennu Ninte Moideen. Vikram took to Instagram to make the announcement and it was followed by a statement which confirmed the project will go on the floors from October this year and the release is planned for December 2019. To be majorly shot in Hindi, the film will be a multilingual project and will feature actors across industries.

Originally planned with Prithviraj, the project was shelved last year after the producer opted out due to an exorbitant budget. In a Times of India report, producer Venu was quoted as saying: “When Karnan was announced, we planned to make it on a budget of Rs 60 crore. However, when we went forward with the film, I felt it would cost much more and that's the reason I withdrew.”

The project has now been taken over by a New York based company called United Film Kingdom which is ready to spend as much as it takes, to get the film made. 

Vikram is currently shooting for Saamy Square, the sequel to his 2002 blockbuster Saamy. He also has Gautham Menon’s Dhruva Natchathiram in his kitty. The project will see him play a suave agent who is on the run for revenge. Vikram is also said to have signed a film in Kamal Haasan’s production, to be directed by Rajesh M Selva. The film will reportedly be a remake of a French flick. “The team had originally planned to announce this project on January 1, but since Vikram's father passed away on December 31, they have put off the announcement as a mark of respect.”