May 12, 2026 11:28am IST
Ranveer Singh Not Attached to ‘The Immortals of Meluha’, clarifies author Amish Tripathi (EXCLUSIVE)
Over the past decade, many filmmakers and producers have attempted to bring Amish Tripathi's bestseller “The Immortals of Meluha” to the screen, but none of those efforts have materialized so far. The mythological fantasy novel has once again returned to the spotlight after reports surfaced that Ranveer Singh has acquired the adaptation rights to develop the novel into a grand-scale film trilogy.
The media reports suggest that Ranveer will step into the role of Lord Shiva, with the first film in the proposed trilogy planned to go on floors in 2028. However, there is no truth to these rumours as Amish Tripathi, the author of “The Immortals of Meluha” has categorically denied the reports.
Speaking to Variety India, Tripathi said, “The rights for the Shiva Trilogy are with me. And nothing has been signed with anyone as yet. Of course, I have huge respect for Ranveer, and am a big fan of his. But this news is not true.”
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“The Immortals of Meluha” is the first book in the acclaimed Shiva trilogy, followed by “The Secret of the Nagas” and “The Oath of the Vayuputras”. The first book is set in the land of Meluha, an orderly society based on the Indus Valley Civilization, built by Lord Ram. The story follows how Shiva, a Tibetan tribal chief, becomes the prophesied Neelkanth (savior) in the near-perfect empire of Meluha. As the story unfolds, Shiva joins forces with the Suryavanshi rulers in their battle against the Chandravanshis and Nagas, discovering his own potential as a leader, god, and defender against evil.
“The Immortals of Meluha” was first supposed to be adapted as a large-scale movie by Karan Johar under the direction of Karan Malhotra. He acquired the rights in 2012, but the project was eventually shelved amid concerns over potential backlash surrounding the depiction of an Indian God on screen.
In 2022, Amish Tripathi, Shekhar Kapur and Suparn Varma officially announced the plans to adapt the novel into a web series. Producer Roy Price was set to produce it under International Arts Machine, marking the company's foray into Indian cinema. However, that also failed to materialize, and rights were again reverted back to the author.
As for Ranveer Singh, the actor has just delivered Indian cinema's biggest-ever blockbuster with “Dhurandhar: The Revenge”. The superstar is next set to star in Jai Mehta's post-apocalyptic zombie thriller, scheduled to go on floors in September 2026. Contrary to speculations, this is the only project Ranveer has officially signed, with discussions with Aditya Dhar for another potential collaboration also underway.
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