Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra To Direct Vikrant Massey In Small-Town Love Story Before Karna

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is preparing for his most ambitious project, Karna, backed by Excel Entertainment. Still, before the war epic goes on floors in 2027, the filmmaker will likely direct Vikrant Massey in a short romantic film.

According to industry sources reported by Bollywood Hungama, Mehra has locked Massey as the lead for his next directorial, described as a small-town love story.

The filmmaker has reportedly lived with the story for some time and wants to present it as a romantic journey featuring Massey.

The team expects to shoot the film in around 30 days, allowing Mehra to complete the project before turning his full attention to Karna.

While Mehra works on the love story, Excel Entertainment and the technical team associated with Karna will continue with the epic’s pre-production.

The romantic film is understood to be a relatively smaller project that Mehra wants to complete before committing fully to the larger-scale Karna, which has been in development for the last five years.

The filmmaker is currently in preparation mode for Karna, with the project expected to go on floors in August 2027.

Salman Khan will play the titular role in Karna, a two-part war epic based on one of the most conflicted characters from the Mahabharata.

Excel Entertainment is producing the film.

The casting and pre-production process for Karna is continuing, with the makers targeting an August 2027 start.

Mehra’s decision to complete the Vikrant Massey-led love story before Karna will allow him to explore a smaller, intimate narrative before taking on the scale and long-term commitment of the two-part epic.

With both projects in development, Mehra will likely balance the immediate 30-day shoot with the extensive preparations required for Karna.

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