Suriya and Shankar to team up for a mega-budget film

If the buzz in the industry is to go by, Suriya and Shankar are all set to team up for a film, which is said to be based on the novel Velpari. Suriya had recently hinted at the audio launch of Karthi's Viruman that he will be collaborating with Madurai MP Su Venkatesan for a project. Now, we hear that Venkatesan is working on the story and director Shankar will be helming the project. If the news is indeed confirmed, this will be Suriya's maiden collaboration with Shankar. 

The film is said to be a project on a grand scale that revolves around the story of the Great Tamil King Pari, who was one of the reasons why Chera, Chola, and Pandiya kings tried to wage war on the small kingdom of Parambu. It is said that he was lauded by around 300 villages around the kingdom. He was known for his benevolence and patronage to art and literature as well. He was one of the last kings of the Sangam era and his generosity is mentioned even today from time to time. The estimated budget for the film is said to be around Rs 1,000 crore. The film is going to be made on a large scale, and the official announcement is all set to be made once the team firms up on the initial works.

In the meantime, Suriya has a packed kitty with Bala's film Vanangan, Vetri Maaran's Vaadivaasal, and Siruthai Siva's Suriya 42. All the films are in different stages of production. Director Shankar, on the other hand, is busy filming for Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 and RC15 simultaneously. It looks like after Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan, a number of filmmakers are delving into the history of Tamil heritage and are coming up with projects showcasing the same