Ranveer Singh to play Lord Shiva, acquires rights to Immortals Of Meluha? Author Amish Tripathi clarifies

Speculation surrounding a possible big-screen adaptation of The Immortals of Meluha starring Ranveer Singh has now officially been shut down by author Amish Tripathi himself.

Over the last few days, multiple reports had claimed that Ranveer Singh had acquired the rights to Amish Tripathi’s hugely popular Shiva Trilogy and was planning to headline a large-scale film franchise based on the books, allegedly playing Lord Shiva. However, the author has now clarified that no such agreement exists.

‘The rights are with me’

Addressing the rumours directly, Amish Tripathi stated that the rights to the Shiva Trilogy still remain with him.

“I’m in the UK with my son right now and I woke up to a flood of messages. The rights for the Shiva Trilogy are with me, and nothing has been signed with anyone as yet,” the author said in a statement to Variety India. 

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He also clarified that while he admires Ranveer Singh as an actor, the reports currently circulating online are “not true”. "Of course, I have huge respect for Ranveer, and am a big fan of his. But this news is not true.”

The clarification comes after several entertainment portals claimed that Ranveer had secured the adaptation rights under his production banner and was developing the project as an ambitious cinematic trilogy. Some reports had even suggested that work on screenplay development and world-building had already begun.

Why the rumours spread so quickly

The speculation gained traction largely because fans have long wanted to see The Immortals of Meluha adapted for the screen.

Originally published in 2010, the novel became a massive bestseller and launched Amish Tripathi’s acclaimed Shiva Trilogy, which also includes The Secret of the Nagas and The Oath of the Vayuputras.

The fantasy-mythological saga reimagines Lord Shiva as a tribal leader who gradually evolves into a legendary figure. Over the years, the cinematic rights to the books have repeatedly attracted attention in Bollywood, with several filmmakers and actors reportedly expressing interest in adapting the material.

Ranveer Singh’s name being attached to the project also generated excitement because of the actor’s larger-than-life screen presence and history of playing intense, physically demanding roles.

Fans still want Ranveer as Shiva

Interestingly, even after Amish Tripathi’s clarification, many fans online continued discussing how Ranveer Singh could potentially fit the role of Shiva if a film adaptation ever materialises in the future. A Reddit thread discussing the rumour had already gone viral days before the denial came out.

At present though, there appears to be no confirmed adaptation in development.

Ranveer Singh, meanwhile, is reportedly busy with several upcoming projects following the success of Dhurandhar 2. He will soon begin work for Jay Mehta's Pralay. Meanwhile Amish Tripathi continues work across books, documentaries and podcasts centred around Indian mythology and history.