Universe expands: Sunny Deol top choice for Hanuman-centric musical film

The new lease of life post ‘Gadar: The Katha Continues’ (2023) he got has Sunny Deol looking at his career differently. He is now picking projects that surprise him and his loyal audience. While the actor is set to play Hanuman in Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana’, sources now inform that Namit Malhotra (producer and CEO Double Negative) is fast-tracking a Hanuman-centric musical film, with Deol as the top choice to headline it.

The project, described internally as a “mythological-pop opera with thunderous action”, is rumoured to be the second major entry in the Ramayan Universe (R-Verse). “The moment they saw the initial writing of Hanuman’s sequences in ‘Ramayana’, the team knew he needed his own stage. And Sunny paaji’s name kept coming up because who else could play it better than him, as he is also part of the original,” shares a source close to the development.

Insiders inform that the makers plan to blend legend, music, high-octane set pieces, aerial combat, flaming-torch choreography, and a 12-minute song described as a battle hymn. They add that the makers plan to have “Avengers-styled interconnected storylines with recurring characters and crossovers. Hanuman is their Hulk — unstoppable, beloved, and built for spectacle.” If things fall into place, the musical may roll into production by late next year.

Sunny Deol in ‘Border 2’

Sunny Deol’s line-up

. ‘Border 2’ — set to come on January 2026
. ‘Gabru’ — scheduled for March 13, 2026
. ‘Ramayana – Part I & Part II’ — Sunny is rumoured to play Hanuman
. ‘Lahore, 1947’ — The period drama directed by Rajkumar Santoshi
. ‘Soorya’ — The Hindi remake of ‘Joseph’ (2018)
. ‘Baap’ — Nostalgic action ensemble film with veteran stars
. ‘Jaat 2’ — Sequel to ‘Jaat’
. ‘Coal King’ — Film in  discussion with director Anil Sharma