Cinematographer Tirru on Karthik Subbaraj's next: 'Planning to present Rajinikanth sir in a stylised look'

National award-winning cinematographer Tirru — best known for his wide-ranging work in a bunch of ambitious projects such as Hey Ram, Aalavandhan, Krrish 3, and 24 to name a few — has been signed to crank the camera for Superstar Rajinikanth's next yet-untitled film with director Karthik Subbaraj. The project also marks Tirru's second consecutive collaboration with Karthik following his latest release Mercury, which starred Prabhu Deva in the lead role.

National Award-winning cinematographer Tirru (left); Rajinikanth and Vijay Sethupathi. Facebook

Talking about boarding one of the most anticipated high-profile projects in Tamil, Tirru told Firstpost, "It was quite surprising. I didn't expect that Karthik Subbaraj would call me for this film. After Mercury, he called me once and talked about this. He said it would be an interesting project and I was also thrilled and happy. I have been waiting to work with Rajini sir for a long time. My approach is to cater to the mass audiences and also to convey the story through my lens. We are planning to present Rajini sir in a stylised look. We are trying to cook a better dish with a lot of interesting ingredients (smiles)."

The pre-production work for the film, which is being bankrolled by Sun Television Network's Sun Pictures, is going on in full swing. The makers are on the verge of completing the pre-production and are gearing up for the principal schedule of the film, which begins from the first week of June in Uttarakhand's capital city, Dehradun.

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Vijay Sethupathi, who delivered stellar performances in Karthik's super-hit directorial debut Pizza and critically acclaimed drama Iraivi, will essay a pivotal role in the film. Sources say Vijay Sethupathi will play the baddie in the movie and is likely to lock horns with Rajinikanth.

Currently busy with a bevy of films under various stages of shooting, Vijay talked about the project in a recent press meet organized by Suryan FM. "This opportunity came because of Karthik Subbaraj. I don't even know the story, and I have not listened to it yet. There are some seven to eight filmmakers whom I trust blindly. If they call me for a film, I'll go and act without any question. I have total faith in their sensibilities and knowledge of cinema. Karthik is one of the important persons who I believe very much," said Vijay about signing the film.

Talking about sharing the screen space with Rajinikanth for the first time in his career, Vijay said, "I'm one of the huge fans of Rajini sir's screen presence and his acting. There's a difference between how you see him on screen and how I observe. I would learn some minute details by watching him perform. I would also like to enjoy his acting by witnessing it first hand on sets."

Anirudh Ravichander has been signed to compose music for the project, which marks the 'Kolaveri' musician's first association in a film starring Rajinikanth. Anjali, who played one of the lead heroines in Iraivi, is reportedly in talks to play a key role in the film.

Rajinikanth is currently waiting for the release of the Mumbai-set gangster action drama Kaala, which is based on land politics. The film has been slated to hit screens on 7 June worldwide in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.

In the aftermath of anti-Sterlite protests in Tuticorin and the police's gunfire which killed nearly 13 lives, the situation in Tamil Nadu has very tense and volatile. Firstpost has learnt that the pre-release event of Rajinikanth's Kaala, which was scheduled to happen in Hyderabad on 29 May, has been cancelled. Jointly produced by Dhanush's Wunderbar Films and Lyca Productions, Kaala is certified UA, and the film's runtime is revealed as 166 minutes and 59 seconds.