Before Kannappa, Vishnu Manchu Planned a Film Based On The Epic Ramayana With Suriya As Lord Rama

Recently, Vishnu Manchu’s Kannappa was released. It is based on the story of the devotee Kannappa. In a recent interview with YouTuber Nayandeep Rakshit, Vishnu Manchu revealed his earlier plans for a Hindu epic based on the Ramayana with a twist. The film was to be told from the perspective of Ravana instead of Rama. The discussions took place back in 2009, and legendary filmmaker Raghavendra Rao was supposed to direct it. He had even approached Tamil star Suriya to play the role of Rama. A script was even created back then.

How did the conversation with Vishnu Manchu come to the topic of Ramayana?

The topic came up when the host asked who Vishnu Manchu would cast in a hypothetical Ramayana film. That is when he revealed his dropped plans. When asked, “Who would you cast as Lord Ram?” His answer was swift: “I think the only person who immediately comes to mind is Mr. Suriya.” For the question about who would play Goddess Sita, he gave a single answer: “Alia Bhatt.”

Then came the question about Ravana, and that is when he revealed the details of the dropped film. He said, “You know, funny that you asked. I already have a script about Ravana, from the birth of Ravana till the death of Ravana, which I actually approached Mr. Suriya with in 2009. Because the budgets were not working out for me, it didn’t work out.”