Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Kabir Singh completes a year today, and the filmmaker is already gearing up for his next dark themed venture, Devil. In September 2019, the director gave Ranbir Kapoor, who he hopes to cast as the protagonist, a narration which yielded a verbal nod from the actor. A source informs, "After a chat in September, Sandeep caught up with Ranbir for another narration in January."

In the interim, rumours were rife that Baahubali actor Prabhas was being considered for Devil. A trade source refutes the gossip and says, "It's not true. Ranbir hasn't given up on the film. It's a dark role that Ranbir has never attempted before. However, before signing the film, Ranbir wants to read the full bound script. The next meeting is scheduled in August." The source explains that the "darkness and toxicity in Devil will be much more intense than [what was] seen in Kabir Singh" and the film may receive an A certificate. "Ranbir may garner much more criticism than Shahid Kapoor did," the source adds.