Acclaimed Malayalam romantic thriller Kappela, which marked the debut of Muhammad Musthafa as the director, will soon be remade in Telugu.

A source close to the development has now informed Cinema Express that three actors — Krithi Shetty, Anikha Surendran and Nithya Shetty — are in contention to reprise Anna Ben's role in the Telugu adaptation produced by S Naga Vamsi under Sithara Entertainments banner.

Currently, the film is in pre-production and is expected to go on the floors in the first half of 2021.

"While the makers have shortlisted the three actors (Nithya, Anikha and Krithi), they are yet to initiate talks with them. They are confident that one among them will give the nod to the film. However, the process might take a few more months due to the Covid-19 outbreak," says the source.

Kappela tells the story of a naive happy-go-lucky girl who falls in love with an autorickshaw driver. Complete with a social message, the Malayalam version garnered positive reviews from the audience and critics alike after it started streaming on Netflix.

While Vishwak Sen will step into the shoes of Sreenath Bhasi, the makers are hunting for another lead actor for the role portrayed by Roshan Mathew in the original. The director and other details of the remake will be announced in August.