Chiyaan Vikram's Saamy Square eyes Ramzan weekend release on 14 June

Chiyaan Vikram’s Saamy Square is eyeing a Ramzan weekend release on 14 June, if everything goes according to plan. A sequel to the 2003 cop actioner Saamy, Saamy Square is being directed by Hari, who also helmed the first part. Saamy went on to become one of the trend-setting cop films of its time. [caption id=“attachment_4291441” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Poster of Saamy Square[/caption] Saamy Square marks the third collaboration between Hari and Vikram after Saamy and Arul, which released in 2004. Produced by Shibu Thameens under the banner Thameens Films, 50 percent of the shooting has already been completed. The shooting of the movie was abruptly halted due to the sudden demise of Vikram’s father John Victor on 31 December. Known by his screen name Vinod Raj, Victor rose to fame for his notable supporting roles in Vijay’s Ghilli and Thirupachi.  Sharing a picture of his father on Instagram, Vikram posted: “To the man who taught me that life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain. You are remembered with huge fondness (sic).”

Keerthy Suresh, who is currently awaiting the release of her upcoming films — Suriya’s Thaanaa Serndha Koottam and Pawan Kalyan’s Agnyaathavaasi — is playing the lead heroine in Saamy Square. Talking about her first-time association with Vikram at a media interaction yesterday, Suresh said, “I’m a huge fan of Vikram sir since my school days. During the release of Anniyan, I had pasted posters of his Remo character from the film on my study table. I think I was in my eighth standard then. I actually told this to Vikram sir when I started working with him, and he laughed. He’s a very active person and will always be on his toes. His energy elevates the spirit of the entire team on sets (sic).” Suresh also said director Hari is working swiftly and wrapping up the film’s schedules on time. A crucial leg of the movie’s shooting was completed recently in Karaikudi. There have also been reports that Vikram is playing a double role in the film, although the team has remained mum on the issue. The makers are still on the lookout for a suitable replacement for Trisha, who opted out of the project stating ‘creative differences’. She played the role of Vikram’s wife in Saamy. Bobby Simha, who was pitted against Vijay Sethupathi in Karuppan, is essaying the role of the villain in Saamy Square. The film also stars Soori, Prabhu, John Vijay, Imman Annachi, and Uma Riyaz Khan in important roles. Saamy Square’s music has been composed by Devi Sri Prasad. With zero releases in 2017, Vikram has three releases lined-up in 2018 at regular intervals. He is now gearing up for the release of Vaalu filmmaker Vijay Chander’s North Chennai-based action drama titled Sketch. The movie sees him in the role of a gangster. Tamannah Bhatia stars opposite Vikram in the film, which is slated to hit theater screens on 12 January during the festival of Pongal alongside Suriya’s Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, Prabhu Deva’s Gulaebagavali, and Shanmugapandian’s Madura Veeran.  Vikram’s last release, Iru Mugan, did well at the box-office when it released in September 2016. Besides Sketch and Saamy Square, Vikram has also been shooting for ace filmmaker Gautham Menon’s spy thriller Dhruva Natchatiram which stars Ritu Varma and Aishwarya Rajesh as female leads. The movie, jointly produced by Gautham’s home banner Ondraga Entertainment and Madan’s Escape Artists Motion Pictures, features an ensemble cast including Radhika Sarathkumar, Simran, Parthiepan, Saranya Ponvanna and Dhivyadarshini, in pivotal roles. The makers are targeting a mid-August release for the film, which will have music composed by Harris Jayaraj.