Over the past 11 years, Ranbir Kapoor and filmmaker Anurag Basu have been developing the script of the Kishore Kumar biopic — a fact that was reiterated by the actor at an event in February. But in the latest development, one hears that Ranveer Singh has emerged as a strong contender to lead the film on the late legendary singer. So, what has brought on the surprising turn of events? Sources are attributing it to Kapoor’s desire to take a short break after the August release of Animal.

Recently, the actor revealed that he would take some time-off after Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s directorial venture to understand where the film industry stands after the pandemic, and weigh in on his next move. This has left many wondering whether he will continue to be a part of Basu’s passion project.

A source says, “With the makers now discussing the possibility of a casting change, Ranveer has emerged as an obvious choice. His ability to immerse himself in a wide range of characters makes him a perfect fit to bring the maestro’s maverick personality to the screen. But Anurag is still hopeful about casting his frequent collaborator Ranbir. The top brass at T-Series, which is bankrolling the film, will take a call after August as they want to take the movie on floors by the year-end.”