Karna is among the most enigmatic characters of the Mahabharata, with every reader interpreting his moral stance and actions in their own way. It isn’t surprising then that filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra found a compelling story in the tragic hero’s journey. Over the past few months, there has been much chatter about the director’s ambitious project, Karna—as much for its grand scale as for the fact that it will mark Suriya’s Hindi cinema debut. Now, mythological fiction novelist Anand Neelakantan, who is serving as a writer on the project along with Mehra, reveals that the period drama is ready to roll early next year.

Earlier, Shahid Kapoor was in talks to play Karna; (right) Nayanthara has been approached for the female lead