Anup Bhandari, who is currently shooting the Sudeep-starrer Phantom, is simultaneously working on his next ambitious project, Ashwatthama. The director is said to be ready with the script, and he is working on the final draft now.

An announcement about this project was made in September 2020, and the release of the poster and other details by Sudeep on his Twitter handle created a lot of buzz at that time. Since then, there have been speculations about who would headline Ashwatthama. Now, according to a source, it will be none other than Sudeep himself. “The Phantom hero is all set to bring the character of Ashwatthama alive for Anup Bhandari's next, which is set in a contemporary fictional universe,” adds the source.

Anup Bhandari had earlier told Cinema Express that he had discussed the idea with Sudeep and the actor was excited about the storyline.

There is already a lot of hype surrounding the duo’s Phantom, which is now in the last phase of the shooting process. And while it is almost certain that Sudeep will play Ashwatthama, it is not known yet whether it will be his next project. The actor is almost through with the shoot for Phantom, but his future plans have not been revealed yet.

Meanwhile, he is also gearing up to host Bigg Boss Season 8, and there are talks about him working on his next directorial project as well. 

Sudeep’s Kotigobba 3, directed by Shiva Karthik, is also getting ready for release, and it is expected to be part of the April rush that already has Puneeth Rajkumar’s Yuvarathnaa and Darshan’s Roberrt hitting the screens that month.