Allu Aravind's Ramayana on hold?

Producers Allu Aravind, Madhu Mantena and Namith Malhotra's ambitious epic film Ramayana, which was supposed to be shot in 3D in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil, has been put indefinitely on hold.

The project was planned to be made with a budget of Rs 1500 crore as a live-action trilogy helmed by Dangal-fame Nitesh Tiwari and Ravi Udyawar, who earlier directed Sridevi-starrer Mom.

"The film is not happening anytime soon. It would have been the most expensive film in Indian cinema, requiring 4-5 years of the actors' time for the making. The makers approached several top stars, including Hrithik Roshan and Ram Charan, for Lord Rama's role, but they politely refused to commit. While the makers initially planned to begin production this month, the casting process is taking longer than expected. Hence, Aravind, Madhu and Namith have decided to put their plans on hold until they get suitable star cast on board for this big budget project," reveals a source.