Filmmaker AR Murugadoss, whose last outing was Vijay’s Sarkar, is expected to team up with Superstar Rajinikanth next. The news first emerged last year when in an interview to Deccan Chronicle, the Ghajini filmmaker revealed he has a project with Rajinikanth in the pipeline. He said in the interview that his film with the Superstar will commence after the star completes Kaala and Petta. It looks like the project is finally falling into place as popular cinematographer Santosh Sivan revealed early on Monday that he is thrilled to be signed for Rajinikanth’s next film. Taking to twitter, he wrote: “Finally, very excited to work with Rajini sir after Thalapathy.”
Finally very excited to work with Rajini Sir after Thalapathy
— SantoshSivanASC. ISC (@santoshsivan) February 10, 2019
Currently dubbed Thalaivar 166, the film will mark Sivan’s reunion with Rajinikanth after Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathi in 1991. Fresh reports suggest that the yet-untitled project will go on the floors from March. Last seen playing a hostel warden with a violent past in Karthik Subbaraj's Petta, it is being rumoured that Rajinikanth will be playing a leader in Murugadoss’s film. To be bankrolled by Lyca Productions, the Superstar is said to have allocated 90 days for the project. The rest of the cast and crew are yet to be revealed. There are rumours doing the rounds that Keerthy Suresh is being considered as the leading lady for the project. Keerthy had worked with Murugadoss in Sarkar, in which she played the lead opposite Vijay.
The project was originally supposed to be produced by Sun Pictures. However, they opted out of the project after their last outing with Murugadoss, Sarkar, was embroiled in controversy. After that, Lyca Productions took over the reins of the project. While Lyca has previously produced Rajinikanth’s 2.0, they forayed into production with Murugadoss’s Kaththi.
Santosh Sivan is a celebrated cinematographer who has worked with AR Murugadoss earlier in Thuppaki and Spyder.
(Content provided by Digital Native)