Vauhini Vara’s The Immortal King Rao to be Adapted for Television

Vauhini Vara’s popular debut novel, The Immortal King Rao, is all set to be adapted for television. According to a tweet by HarperCollins, the publisher of the bestselling novel, independent studio Wiip will helm the project. 

As per The Hollywood Reporter article, Wiip has acquired the rights to The Immortal King Rao. Screenwriter Madhuri Shekar will be adapting the story for the screen version, and will also serve as the executive producer for the show. An official from the US-based production house said that they were thrilled for adapting the critically acclaimed novel. 

The official also added that the production house had been following Madhuri’s works for a long time, and thought her to be the best choice for leading the project. The famed screenwriter said she was excited to work on the “uniquely global, cross-cultural, ambitiously epic.”

Commenting on the announcement, Vauhini said she worked on the novel for 13 years, and always fantasized about an on-screen version. She said she was excited about The Immortal King Rao being adapted to the screen, especially for having a visionary like Madhuri Shekar at the helm of things. 

About the Book and the Author

The Immortal King Rao is Vauhini Vara’s debut novel about a technology expert becoming the CEO of the biggest tech conglomerate, and subsequently the leader of the ruling elite. The book explores various subjects, from climate change to capitalism, and the surveillance state to a troubled father-daughter relationship. 

The thriller debuted last year, and soon became one of the most successful releases of the year. Several publications named The Immortal King Rao as the Best Book of the Year 2022, as the books gained rave reviews in leading platforms like The New York Times and The Observer. Vauhini also won the O. Henry Award and was honoured by the Rona Jaffe Foundation, the Canada Council for the Arts, MacDowell, and Yaddo for her debut novel. The novel also won the Atta Galatta Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize and Alta Magazine’s Rosebud Award for Fiction.

Vauhini Vara is a journalist and writer who covers a wide range of topics, including technology, business, economics, and culture. She has written for prestigious publications such as The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg Businessweek, among others. 

Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, to Indian immigrants, Vauhini grew up in Oklahoma and Seattle. She’s also a Lighthouse Writers Workshop’s Book Project. Vauhini has received numerous awards, including the South Asian Journalists Association Award for Outstanding Business Reporting, and the National Association of Real Estate Editors Award.