UAE-based business honcho B.R. Shetty on Monday announced that he will invest Rs 1,000 crore to produce the costliest ever Indian film titled "The Mahabharata".
In a statement issued here, Shetty said the film will be produced in two parts and the shooting will begin next year. He said the first part would be released in 2020 and 90 days later the second part also would be released.
The film would be made in English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telegu and Kannada besides being dubbed into other Indian and foreign languages.
To be directed by ad film maker V.A. Shrikumara Menon, the story of the film is an adaptation of M.T. Vasudevan Nair's Jnanpeeth Award winning novel, "Randamoozham", which narrates the Mahabharata story through the perspective of Bhima.
National award winning actor Mohanlal will don the grease paint to portray the character of Bhima and will have leading national and international stars besides the crew also would have big names from Hollywood.
"This movie will be a true 'Make in India' made for the world. I am confident that this film would be adapted in 100 languages and reach three billion people," said Shetty.
"I feel honoured that my name has been heard for the role of Bhima ever since the news of a cinematic adaptation of Nair's 'Randamoozham' started doing rounds. I feel humbled and honoured at the same time that the author himself has envisioned me for enacting Bhima," said Mohanlal.