Hrithik Roshan to play Lord Shiva in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's adaptation of The Immortals of Meluha?

Hrithik Roshan is no stranger to playing historical figures, whether it is his portrayal of the Mughal emperor in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar, or his more recent film Mohenjo Daro, where he played the Prabhas-esque Sarman. [caption id=“attachment_3812663” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Hrithik Roshan and the cover of Amish Tripathi’s The Immortals of Meluha. Images from Facebook and News 18[/caption] Now, it is being speculated that he will be the lead actor in the film adaptation of Immortals of Meluha which will be directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. This book is the first in the Shiva trilogy, and is followed by The Secret of the Nagas and The Oath of the Vayuputras. It chronicles the origins of Lord Shiva and how he came to rule over Meluha and marry Parvati. Previously, it was rumoured that this film would be helmed by Karan Johar, who reportedly had also bought the rights to the book. Then, it emerged that he had dropped these plans because he feared the repercussions of making a film centered on a Hindu God. However, Amish Tripathi offered a different explanation. “The contract had expired. There were various issues but Karan and I have parted as friends,” he said, adding that a new contract has been signed with another studio. The rights of the film bought by Johar expired and he surrendered them, which is when Bhansali expressed interest in the project. Johar’s film was titled Shuddhi, and several actors were said to have walked in and out of the project, including Varun Dhawan, Salman Khan and Tiger Shroff. This was cited as the reason why the film was shelved. Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Hrithik Roshan have collaborated in the past on Guzaarish, which released in 2010.