We had earlier reported about director Shankar planning to team up for an epic film based on the famous Velpari novel, penned by Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writer Su Venkatesan. However, latest reports suggest that the director is in discussions with Ranveer Singh for the same project. It is reportedly mounted as three-part pan-Indian project.

Shankar and Ranveer Singh had earlier announced that they would be collaborating for the Hindi remake of the director's 2005-released blockbuster film, Anniyan. Dr Jayantilal Gada of Pen Studios was supposed to back that project, but the original film's producer V Ravichandran had opposed the planned remake citing that the story belongs exclusively to him. It is now speculated that Shankar and Ranveer have dropped the idea to remake Anniyan and are proceeding with the Velpari adaptation. An official confirmation in this regard is still awaited.

Meanwhile, Shankar is simultaneously working on RC 15 with Ram Charan and Indian 2 with Kamal Haasan.