'Velpari': Shankar Promises Global-Scale Adaptation of Historic Tamil Novel

Veteran filmmaker S. Shankar has called Velpari the biggest and most ambitious project of his career so far. Speaking at a recent public event celebrating the sale of one lakh copies of the historical Tamil novel Veera Yuga Nayagan Velpari, Shankar shared his vision for the film adaptation and described it as his “most ideal movie.”

“Once, my dream project was Enthiran. Now, my dream project is Velpari,” the director said at the event, where superstar Rajinikanth was also present as the chief guest. “As far as I believe, this film could be one of the biggest ventures ever made, owing to the elements of costume, art, and the level of production it will require. However, the scope of technology makes me say that Velpari would be a global-standard movie, on par with the likes of Game of Thrones or Avatar.”

Based on CPI(M) MP Su Venkatesan’s novel, Velpari traces the life of the legendary Tamil ruler Vel Paari and his resistance against the Chera, Chola, and Pandya dynasties. The film is planned as a three-part saga, with script work reportedly completed. Shankar has confirmed that pre-production is underway, and the project will go on floors after Indian 3.

In September 2024, the director had warned of potential legal action after claiming to have seen scenes from Velpari appear in another film’s trailer. He expressed concern about the unauthorised use of content from the novel and reminded filmmakers to respect creative boundaries.

This isn’t the first time a project tied to Shankar has sparked controversy. His earlier film Enthiran (2010), while becoming a massive success, was later embroiled in plagiarism allegations. Writer Aarur Tamilnadan had filed a case claiming that Enthiran copied elements from his story Jiguba, leading to a ₹10 Cr property attachment order by the Enforcement Directorate in early 2025. Shankar has denied the allegations, calling the ED’s action “an overreach” and citing that a civil court had dismissed the claim.

Despite the setbacks of his last two films, Indian 2 and Game Changer, both of which failed to meet expectations, Shankar appears determined to reset the course of his filmmaking career with Velpari. With industry support, including Rajinikanth’s public endorsement at the event, and a renewed creative vision, Velpari could mark a major turning point in the director’s journey.