Mahabharata: SS Rajamouli confirms Nani is the first actor to join the cast of his magnum opus

Speaking at a press event for Nani’s upcoming HIT: The Third Case (HIT 3), director S. S. Rajamouli confirmed that the actor is the first to officially join the cast of his magnum opus, The Mahabharata. This marks the first official update on the highly anticipated project after years of speculation.

Taking the stage, Rajamouli said, “Let me put it this way – Nani is the first actor officially on board,” much to the delight of the audience. The duo had previously collaborated on the director’s 2012 blockbuster Eega. The Mahabharata project has been a decade-long dream for Rajamouli.

Definitely, #Nani will be part of my film based on Mahabharata, says S S Rajamouli pic.twitter.com/fnupW9f4R0

Currently, Nani is gearing up for the release of HIT: The Third Case, the third entry in the popular HIT franchise. Each instalment is a stand-alone film focused on Indian police officers who are part of an elite task force known as the Homicide Investigation Team (HIT), responsible for solving murders and other complex cases that have proven difficult to crack.

HIT: Chapter 3 will hit the big screen worldwide on 1 May 2025.

As for S. S. Rajamouli, he is busy with his next movie featuring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra, and Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film began production under the working title SSMB29, with the first schedule recently wrapped up in Odisha. The project is reported to have a massive budget and will be released in two parts, with the first part expected to arrive in 2027.