For months, speculation has been rife about Prithviraj Sukumaran joining SS Rajamouli’s next film with Mahesh Babu, tentatively titled SSMB29. While the Aadujeevitham actor himself previously played coy, stating in a recent interview that “Everyone seems to know more about the film than I do” and that “nothing has been confirmed yet”, it appears the suspense has finally been broken by none other than Prithviraj’s mother and veteran actor Mallika Sukumaran. In a casual social media interaction, Mallika seemingly confirmed that Prithviraj is indeed part of Rajamouli’s next. Responding to a comment, she revealed that the actor is set to leave tonight to join the film’s set, putting an end to months of speculation.

The revelation comes just after Prithviraj’s own Instagram post on Monday, where he detailed his upcoming schedule as an actor. He captioned it, "Finish and hand over film and all marketing assets on your directorial✅ Get into appearance for your next as an actor✅ Realise you have long monologues in a language that’s not native to you and start becoming nervous✅" Fans immediately connected this to SSMB29, which is reportedly an action-adventure set against an African backdrop. The film, penned by Vijayendra Prasad, is expected to be India’s most expensive film to date, with a tentative budget of Rs 1000 crore.

While Prithviraj’s casting now seems all but confirmed, industry reports also suggest that John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra are being considered for key roles. Priyanka recently flew into Hyderabad for look tests, though there has been no official confirmation.

Meanwhile, Prithviraj will be seen next in his third directorial venture L2: Empuraan, the second instalment of the 2019 Mohanlal-starrer Lucifer.