Vivek Agnihotri announces new film ‘Parva’, a ‘historical recounting of Mahabharata’

Considered among Bhyrappa’s most widely debated and popular works, ‘Parva’ weaves its tale through the personal reflections of the principal characters

For their next movie venture, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri and his actor-wife Pallavi Joshi have zeroed in on the critically-acclaimed Kannada novel, "Parva", by S L Bhyrappa.

The 1979 Kannada book is a retelling of the Sanskrit epic 'Mahabharata'. Considered among Bhyrappa's most widely debated and popular works, "Parva" weaves its tale through the personal reflections of the principal characters.

“I was looking for a historical recounting of ‘Mahabharat’ and then I learnt Bhyrappa spent decades researching and that he even visited the places that the epic was set in,” Agnihotri said at the launch of the first-look poster of the film here on Friday evening.

Joshi said there have been debates in the society whether 'Mahabharata' is actually "our history or if it is just mythology".

"This book breaks the barriers and explains to us what the truth is. I was a little worried whether people are ready for the truth. But as we researched more into it, I realised that this is a film that has to be made," she added.

Agnihotri said he will be adapting the book into a three-part film along with Prakash Belawadi, the Bengaluru-based theatre exponent who has also acted in films across many languages.

Belawadi said "Parva" is an interesting material for dramatic exploration.