Mahesh Kumar is on cloud nine these days, for he has not only received an award as best debutant director for Ayogya at the recently-held SIIMA awards but has also got an opportunity to direct a film that will have a pan-India presence. The movie will be made by Sony Pictures in collaboration with Vishnu Induri, the founder of SIIMA, who is creating a platform for young talents and award winners.The other directors include Ajay Bhupathi from Telugu, Nelson Venkatesan from Tamil, and Zakariya Mohammed from Malayalam.

“It is an unexpected announcement, which I cherish. For a newcomer, getting a film like Ayogya, which was a hit at the box office, and bagging an award, bring a huge surprise. The bigger trophy is this project. The first round of discussions happened at Qatar, where the award function was held, where I met people from Sony Pictures and Vishnu Induri's team. I have accepted the offer,” Mahesh said, adding that he has a genre in mind that will suit the current trend and a subject that will suit all languages. The director is also planning to rope in one of the top Kannada stars for the film. “However, the decision about who will play the hero will be taken later, depending on their commitment to the project, and other factors,” he added.

Mahesh insists that this project will begin only after he is done with the Sriimurali-starrer MadaGaja, which is produced by Umapathy. “MadaGaja will take off in September, and I am hoping to finish it by February. It’s only after this that I will concentrate on taking up my next film,” Mahesh said.