Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is not giving up on his dream project, ‘Karna’. After Farhan Akhtar’s and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment backed out from the project last year due to budgetary constraints, the ‘Rang De Basanti’ director is now seeking new production partners to revive the mythological epic. 

Mehra is believed to have pitched ‘Karna’ to Jio Studios and Applause Entertainment, and held a meeting with Junglee Pictures as well. Although no commitments have been confirmed, the director is reportedly optimistic about finalizing a production deal within the next few months, with a target to commence filming in early 2026.

The revival process, however, is not without hurdles. The primary obstacle still remains the staggering budget of 600 crore for a two-part cinematic adaptation. This colossal financial commitment is deterring potential investors, particularly in the current uncertain box-office climate. One studio has reportedly asked Mehra to reevaluate the budget to make the project more financially viable. While another suggested a prominent Bollywood star as Karna to bolster its market appeal following concerns about Tamil superstar Suriya leading a North India-centric mythology film.

Mehra has been nurturing ‘Karna’ for over five years and has conducted extensive research with author and screenwriter Anand Neelakandan to craft a screenplay that faithfully captures the complexity and tragedy of Karna — a noble yet misunderstood warrior, born to the sun god Surya and princess Kunti. Suriya was signed on to play the titular role, with Janhvi Kapoor and Vijay Verma also joining in pivotal roles. However, the project was shelved when Excel Entertainment backed out.