MUMBAI: Disney India’s studio business today announced plans to bring The Mahabharata, Indian Mythology’s greatest epic, to the big screen. The Studio is gearing up to recreate the magic of this remarkable story in live action at a scale never seen before in Indian cinema which will be directed by Abhishek Kapoor and written by renowned author Ashok Banker.

“Indian mythology has a great wealth of stories which have inspired legions of creative minds and The Mahabharata unarguably is the most ambitious and all-encompassing of them all. We believe this epic which has engaged generations of Indians will translate into a magnificent silver screen saga,” said Siddharth Roy Kapur, Managing Director - Disney India.

“The Mahabharata expresses the universal truth; it has defined my understanding of spirituality and of all humanity. I aim to translate this onto the big screen, engage minds and deliver a world class cinematic experience,” said director of the film Abhishek Kapoor. "There could be no one better than Disney India, with its prowess as a creative and distribution powerhouse, to narrate this epic in the manner that befits it.”

“It’s an epic as relevant and powerful today as it was millennia ago. Our attempt is to make the Mahabharata that brings alive the great human drama, the terrible conflict, and unforgettable characters, in a way you’ve never seen or thought of them before.” added Ashok K Banker.

For the first time in Indian cinema, a single narrative will be told across two movies.  The film will go into pre-production post the completion of Abhishek Kapoor’s next venture with the studio, Fitoor, which goes on the floors in July.