Megastar Chiranjeevi’s upcoming historic drama Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy was announced with much fanfare in August last year. The film’s first poster and motion poster were subsequently released. In the film’s first schedule, the team shot an action sequence under the supervision of international stuntmen Lee Whitaker.

As the team gets ready for the second schedule of shooting later this month, rumours started making the rounds that actor Vijay Sethupathi has opted out of the project. Roped in to play a pivotal role, it is believed that Vijay walked out as his dates for the project were clashing with Mani Ratnam’s film.

“These are absolutely baseless reports. First, there were rumours that Nayanthara walked out of the project and now it’s about Vijay Sethupathi. Nobody has walked out of the project. The second schedule will commence later this month,” a source told TNM.

Vijay Sethupathi will be seen playing the role of Obayya, the right-hand man of Kurnool-based freedom fighter Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, to be played by Chiranjeevi. Vijay is said to have honed his Telugu speaking ability to be able to do justice to his role. In fact, he played a character that spoke sporadic Telugu in his latest release Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren. Apparently, his role in Sye Raa will see him sport a twirled moustache and a cleanshaven look. In Mani Ratnam’s upcoming film, which is a multi-starrer, Vijay is getting ready to play a cop.

Being directed by Surender Reddy, Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Kichcha Sudeep and Prakash Raj. The film is being produced by Ram Charan on a lavish budget of Rs 150 crore.

Vijay Sethupathi has an exciting line-up of films in 2018. In Balaji Tharaneetharan’s Seethakathi, he will be seen playing a septuagenarian character, which required him to put on prosthetic make-up, a process that takes about four hours each time. He plays a transwoman in Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s Super Deluxe and a politician in Seenu Ramaswamy’s Maamanidhan.

(Content provided by Digital Native)