Recent Malayalam blockbuster Ayyappanum Koshiyum, directed by late director Sachy, is all set to be remade in Telugu. In April, reports emerged that actors Balakrishna and Rana Daggubati will be part of the Telugu remake. However, as per the latest reports, Pawan Kalyan has been signed to play the role essayed by Biju Menon in the original. An official announcement regarding the project can be expected to be made on Pawan Kalyan’s birthday on September 2.
Director Venky Atluri of Tholi Prema fame, who is also working on the upcoming film Rang De, is said to have been signed to helm the project. To be bankrolled by Haarika and Hassine Creations, the remake will be presented by filmmaker Trivikram. Apparently, talks have been initiated with actor Vijay Sethupathi for Prithviraj’s role in the original.
Ayyappanum Koshiyum tells the story of its title characters, Ayyappan Nair and Koshy Kurian, who lock horns over an incident and their egos take them on a wild trip. While Biju Menon played Ayyappan Nair, a policeman with an unblemished record, Prithviraj was seen as a retired army havildar Koshy Kurian, who had put in 16 years of service.
Meanwhile, Pawan Kalyan has two more projects in his kitty. He awaits the release of Vakeel Saab, the Telugu remake of the Hindi movie Pink. Vakeel Saab, jointly produced by Boney Kapoor and Dil Raju, also stars Nivetha Thomas and Anjali in crucial roles.
The shooting of the film was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic and the team had started editing and re-recording of the portions they have shot so far and decided to resume the shooting once things settle down. With 70% of the shooting already completed, the industry grapevine is that the team will be resuming shooting for the film in December with plans to wrap it up before the end of January 2021.
Pink, which starred Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu in key roles, is the story of three women who are helped by a lawyer in a molestation case against three boys from influential backgrounds.
Nerkonda Paarvai, the Tamil version of Pink which released last year, starred Ajith in the role essayed by Amitabh in the original. Directed by H Vinoth, Nerkonda Paarvai went on to strike gold at the box-office grossing over Rs 150 crore worldwide.
Pawan Kalyan also has a project with filmmaker Krish in the offing. Launched earlier this year, it is tipped to be a period drama set in pre-Independence India. The film will feature actors from multiple industries, including Bollywood.
Last seen on screen in Agnyaathavaasi, Pawan Kalyan took a break from acting for two years to concentrate on his political career. He came back with two projects which he hoped to complete and release this year. However, the pandemic struck and all his plans have gone for a toss.
There are also reports that Pawan Kalyan might reunite with Trivikram for another project next year. The duo is popular for working together in films such as Jalsa and Attarintiki Daredi. They had also worked together in Agnyaathavaasi, which bombed at the box-office.
(Content provided by Digital Native)