Rishab Shetty confirms next directorial based on mythology; fans speculate adaptation of MT Vasudevan Nair’s Randamoozham

Rishab Shetty just dropped a mythology bomb that has the internet connecting dots to a legendary lost project. Is the wait finally over?

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The internet is currently having a collective meltdown because Rishab Shetty just confirmed he is going back to his roots.

On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the buzz in Bangalore is all about one word: Randamoozham.

While everyone was busy tracking his acting role in Jai Hanuman, the Kantara mastermind quietly dropped a hint that his next directorial venture is a mythological epic. He didn’t name the film. He didn’t need to. Fans have already connected the dots to the most anticipated, most delayed, and most controversial script in South Indian history.

The Bhima Connection Everyone is Talking About

This isn’t just any movie news. This is about the Mahabharata seen through the eyes of the strongest Pandava. For decades, MT Vasudevan Nair’s legendary novel Randamoozham has been the “Holy Grail” of Indian cinema. It was supposed to be Mohanlal’s career-defining epic, but legal battles and production nightmares kept it in the dark.

Now, the momentum has shifted toward the man who made the world chant Waaow with Kantara.

According to News 18, during a recent media interaction, Rishab Shetty admitted he has been brainstorming a mythological subject for his next directorial. He spent four years living in the world of Kantara, and while he is currently enjoying being “just an actor” for Prasanth Varma’s Jai Hanuman, his heart is clearly back in the director’s chair. The timing is almost too perfect to be a coincidence.

Why the Industry is Shaking Right Now

If Rishab Shetty steps into the shoes originally meant for Mohanlal, it changes everything for the pan-Indian market.

We are talking about a project that was once budgeted at 1000 crores. The scale is massive. The expectations are even higher. MT Vasudevan Nair’s daughter, Aswathy Nair, recently confirmed that the adaptation is finally moving forward. She teased an official announcement for March 2026. Guess what month it is?

The industry is currently obsessed with “grounded mythology.” We saw it with Kantara, we are seeing it with the Hanu-Man universe, and Randamoozham fits that vibe perfectly. It isn’t just a story of gods; it is a story of human emotions, jealousy, and the silent strength of a man who was always “second.”

Randamoozham has a history of broken promises. First, it was Mani Ratnam who was reportedly approached, but he allegedly suggested Rishab’s name instead. Then there was the whole legal saga between MT and director Sreekumar Menon. The screenplay was taken back. The project went cold. Now, with a “Global Film” launch planned for 2026, it seems the family has found their man in Shetty.

Rishab revealed that his acting commitments for Jai Hanuman will keep him busy until next year. The film is expected to be released in 2027. This means his directorial return would likely hit floors late next year. It is a long game. But for a project that has been stuck since 2014, fans are willing to wait.

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Rishab Shetty is the only director right now who can handle the weight of MT’s prose without making it look like a generic VFX fest.

Kantara proved he understands the “soul” of Indian mythology. Replacing a titan like Mohanlal in the conversation is a huge risk, but Shetty has that raw, earthy energy that Bhima needs. This isn’t just good news; it is a strategic masterstroke for the Kannada and Malayalam industries to collaborate on such a level. If he pulls this off, he isn’t just a “star”—he becomes a legacy filmmaker.

Look forward to a first-look poster that might just break the Indian internet by the end of this month.

Gulshan Mishra – Journalist

Original Source: First reported by News 18 and confirmed via subsequent reports by The Times of India and Asianet News regarding Aswathy Nair’s March 2026 update timeline.

Question For You: Do you think Rishab Shetty can do justice to a role and a project that was originally designed for the legendary Mohanlal?

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