If the industry grapevine is to be believed, the first look of Pa Ranjith’s upcoming boxing film, Salpetta, will be released this week. Reliable sources have confirmed that the first look poster will be unveiled on December 2 and the makers plan to get a popular celebrity to unveil it. The project, which will explore the boxing clubs culture in North Madras in the 1990s, marks Ranjith’s first-time collaboration with Arya, who has undergone an unbelievable transformation for the movie. The project also stars Kalaiarasan in a key role as a boxer. Dushara Vijayan plays the leading lady.
Not long ago, rumours emerged that the project could be the Tamil remake of Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkabaaz, a story of a boxer from a backward community. It’s worth mentioning that Anurag and Ranjith had met a few months ago in Mumbai. The former has publicly admitted that he’s a fan of Ranjith’s work and that he eagerly looks forward to his films. However, as per the latest reports, the movie is a story set in North Chennai, a setting that Pa Ranjith had explored previously in his film Madras, which featured Karthi in the lead. Apparently, Ranjith had originally planned Salpetta with Suriya. For reasons unknown, the plan didn’t materialise and Ranjith went ahead and roped in Arya, who is one of the fittest actors in Tamil cinema.
Meanwhile, Vishal and Arya, who had previously worked together in Bala’s Avan Ivan, will re-join for filmmaker Anand Shankar’s upcoming Tamil action-thriller Enemy. The film’s title was officially unveiled on Wednesday and the project will see Arya play the antagonist. Announcing the title, Vishal tweeted: “It’s final. My best friend @arya_offl is now my “ENEMY”. We have no choice, except to fight it out in a battle of epic proportion. Gonna be good (sic)”.
It's final. My best friend @arya_offl is now my "ENEMY".We have no choice, except to fight it out in a battle of epic proportion. gonna be good. GB#ENEMY @anandshank @vinod_offl @MusicThaman @MiniStudio_ @mirnaliniravi @RDRajasekar @RIAZtheboss @baraju_SuperHit pic.twitter.com/9jQ0RjLIJz
— Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) November 25, 2020
As per a recent Times of India report, Mirnalini Ravi has been signed as the lead opposite Vishal in the movie, which will go on the floors later this month. The project has been on the cards for close to a year.
Arya was last seen on screen in Magamuni, in which he played dual roles. The film, directed by Santhakumar, saw Arya play a hitman as well as a pious teacher practising Brahmacharya. Santhakumar returned to direction after eight years with this film, which also featured Mahima Nambiar and Induja in crucial roles. Arya currently awaits the release of the children’s film Teddy, which also stars his wife Sayyeshaa. Teddy, which is centred on a talking teddy bear and its relationship with a police officer, is directed by Sakthi Soundarajan.
(Content provided by Digital Native)