At the audio launch of Santhanam’s Sakka Podu Podu Raja, Dhanush made heads turn with his clean-shaven look, leaving everybody wondering if the look is for one of his films. When we dug deeper, we found out that the new look is for two projects – Vada Chennai and Enai Noki Paayum Thota, which he’s simultaneously shooting. In Gautham Menon’s Enai Noki Paayum Thota, Dhanush plays a college student who will be seen sporting the clean-shaven look from start to finish. In Vada Chennai, the clean shaven look is for a brief flashback portion in which he’s required to be a youngster.
Dhanush went back to the sets of Enai Noki Paayum Thota after a long hiatus last week. The industry grapevine is that the project was on the back burner for a few months as producer Madan, who had bankrolled Dhanush's Kodi, hadn't cleared his remuneration for a long time and the latter gave up on the project. Last week, the film finally resumed shooting in and near OMR in Chennai. The film will be wrapped up by this year-end and the makers are hopeful of releasing the film in February 2018.
Tipped to be a campus-based action drama, the film has music by Darbuka Siva whose identity was kept a secret for a long time. The makers promoted him as MR.X to create curiosity amongst fans. The idea paid off as the songs were extremely well received. There were rumours that AR Rahman was the composer of the album after the phenomenal response to the first single of the album. For months, the makers dodged every speculation and maintained secrecy about the composer's name.
Dhanush will wrap up this schedule and then grow back his moustache for Maari 2, in which he will be seen playing a dhoti-clad, moustache-twirling gangster. Sai Pallavi has been signed as the leading lady while Tovino Thomas plays the antagonist. Balaji Mohan will helm the sequel, which is slated to hit the screens during summer of 2018. After wrapping up Maari 2, Dhanush is expected to commence work on his second directorial project. He made his directorial debut with Power Paandi, a heartwarming drama about self-exploration of a 60-year-old. His second film is expected to be produced by Thenandal Studio Limited, the makers of Mersal, and it’s likely to be a period film.