After Prabhas, Raghava Lawrence to Play Karna?

The first look of actor Raghava Lawrence as the legendary warrior Karna in Mahaveer Karna has generated interest among film circles. Lawrence appears in an elaborate period costume featuring traditional armour, long flowing hair, a distinct Surya tilak and traditional earrings.

The film is being directed by Ramesh Varma, known for films such as Rakshasudu and Khiladi. With Prabhas recently being introduced as Karna in Kalki 2898 AD, questions have naturally arisen about whether the character’s portrayal in Mahaveer Karna was influenced by Nag Ashwin’s film.

Ramesh Varma, however, says the project predates Kalki 2898 AD and was developed independently. “I have been working on this script for the last four to five years, so the inspiration doesn’t arise from Kalki 2898 AD,” says Ramesh Varma.

The director reveals that he had initially planned to make Karna and the Ramayana as animated projects and was in discussions with Chotta Bheem production. However, the project was delayed, prompting him to develop Karna as a full-fledged feature film in five languages.

Ramesh Varma says the film will explore Karna’s journey, including his struggles with identity, rejection and his determination to establish himself as a great warrior. Born into royal lineage but raised in a lower caste family, Karna faced discrimination because of his perceived social status. After being rejected by Dronacharya, he approached Parashurama for training and concealed his identity, eventually earning a curse that would play a crucial role in his downfall during the Kurukshetra war.

According to Varma, Lawrence was chosen not just for his screen presence but also because of his personality off screen.

“Raghava Lawrence is known for his philanthropic activities and for extending help to differently abled people and those in need. His real-life nature matches the personality I see in Karna. Karna is remembered for his sacrifices, valour and generosity,” says the director.

The obvious comparison with Kalki 2898 AD is also something Varma is keen to address. Prabhas’ Karna was introduced in the climax of Nag Ashwin’s sci-fi epic, leaving audiences curious about how the character will be explored in the sequel.

“If Nag Ashwin explores more of Karna and the war episodes in the sequel, that is his creative choice. Kalki 2898 AD is a science-fiction adventure, and we don’t know how Prabhas’ character will evolve in the sequel. It is also a film mounted on a massive scale. We are making a historical epic focusing entirely on Karna’s rise and fall with a budget of around Rs 150 crore. So there is no comparison between the two films in terms of either theme or scale,” he concludes.

Ramesh Varma also points out that Telugu filmmakers have a long association with mythological and historical cinema, with stars such as NTR and Krishnam Raju having portrayed iconic characters from Indian epics.

“Telugu filmmakers have a strong command over mythological films and characters,” he adds.