Karna Faces Financial Woes: ₹600 Crore Budget In Question For Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Epic!

South Indian films pour money into mammoth budget projects like Pushpa 2, Kanguva, Kalki, and many more. Meanwhile, Bollywood needs help to finance ambitious ventures. After Vicky Kaushal and Aditya Dhar’s Ashwatthama and Shahid Kapoor’s film on the same subject were officially shelved, another mythological project now faces abandonment.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Karna, starring Tamil superstar Suriya in the titular role, has been on the back burner for now. The Rang De Basanti and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag director has temporarily halted work on this two-part epic as he struggles to secure the ₹600 crore budget required to produce the film. Mehra still intends to make the film, having spent years researching and developing the screenplay to present the legendary tale of Karna with historical accuracy and grandeur.

Reports from the trade circle indicate that Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment is also reevaluating their plans to produce the film. The skyrocketing production cost has made the project financially unfeasible for them. The producers have urged Mehra to significantly reduce the budget, failing which they may back out. Sources reveal that Mehra has started looking for new producers, but another challenge lies in casting Suriya as Karna.

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The Tamil superstar recently delivered a significant flop with Kanguva, raising concerns among potential investors. Producers are hesitant to support a project of this scale with Suriya in the lead, especially considering the story’s appeal is more vital in North India—given that the Mahabharata is centered in Kurukshetra, near Delhi.

Karna faces challenges similar to those encountered by Vicky Kaushal and Aditya Dhar’s The Immortal Ashwatthama before it was shelved. Dhar chose the latter and had to abandon the film, and Mehra appears to be following a similar path. Whether he succeeds in bringing this epic to life or ultimately gives up will be revealed in time.

If this project secures the necessary funding and is made on its ₹600 crore budget, it would mark the most significant collaboration in the careers of both the director and actor Suriya.

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