Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal director says film will properly establish Dulquer Salmaan as lead hero in Tamil cinema

The first look poster of Tamil romantic thriller Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal, which marks Dulquer Salmaan’s 25th project, has been unveiled on 14 February by the makers to coincide with the occasion of Valentine’s Day. The nicely-conceptualised poster, which has Dulquer and Ritu Varma of Pellichoopulu fame striking an array of nonchalant poses, has received good response from netizens. Internet sensation Priya Varrier shared the first look poster of the film on her Instagram page and said that sharing the screen with Dulquer Salmaan is her biggest dream. [caption id=“attachment_4350653” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Poster of Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal[/caption] Directed by debutant Desingh Periyasamy and produced by FTS Films and Anto Joseph Film Company, KKK is touted to be a romantic thriller and has cinematography by KM Bhaskaran. Both Desingh and Bhaskaran are former assistants of cinematographer-turned-director Vijay Milton under his direction and cinematography departments respectively. In a brief conversation, Firstpost caught up with director Desingh Periyasamy, who is currently busy shooting the film in Chennai, to learn some exclusive updates. “The entire shooting schedule of the project is planned for 68 days and we’re on track. So far, we have shot for 25 days including a four-day schedule in Goa, where we canned some uber-cool portions. Next, we will be heading to Delhi for a week-long schedule and Pune for two days before coming to Chennai where the remaining portions will be shot. The shooting is now going at breakneck speed and we are planning to wrap up by mid-April,” Desingh Periyasamy told Firstpost. Spilling some beans on the film’s genre and premise, Desingh said, “KKK is a romantic thriller. There’s a lot of adventure in the story and some travel too. It’s not a travel film though. The story travels to various places and the characters encounter interesting adventures. It will be a complete entertainer.” Desingh says KKK will be the first proper lead hero film for Dulquer Salmaan in Tamil cinema: “There are high-speed shots and proper elevation scenes for him in the story. KKK will establish Dulquer as a lead hero in Tamil rightfully. In fact, as soon as I finished the story, I wanted only Dulquer to play the lead role. I got in touch with his manager and immediately, everything fell into place. Working with Dulquer has been very comfortable. He’s very friendly and lights up the sets whenever he’s shooting. The atmosphere on sets will always be like a get-together of friends when he’s there.” On signing Ritu Varma, who will also be seen in Gautham Menon-Chiyaan Vikram’s spy thriller Dhruva Natchathiram, Desingh said, “My assistants and friends strongly recommended Ritu Varma for the role though I was skeptical initially. I hadn’t watched her Pellichoopulu then. But after I watched the film, I was very convinced about casting her. Both Dulquer and Ritu are very chilled-out on sets. But when the camera starts rolling, they go into their characters effortlessly. They don’t carry any starry airs and behave like friends. They both keep the sets lively and cordial.” Dulquer’s next release would be the Savitri biopic Mahanati / Nadigaiyar Thilagam, where he plays the role of Gemini Ganesan. The movie directed by Nag Ashwin and produced by Vyjayanthi Movies is gearing up for release on 29 March. Starring Keerthy Suresh in the titular role, Mahanati also features Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey in important roles. Dulquer has also signed an untitled Tamil film with debutant director Ra. Karthik. The film, which is produced by Selva Kenanya’s home banner Kenanya Films, is billed as a travelogue. Dulquer will be seen playing multiple characters in the film, which will be shot in Chennai, Pollachi, Coimbatore, Nainital, and Chandigarh. He will be seen romancing four lead heroines in the movie and the casting is underway now. Dulquer will also foray into Bollywood this year with the comedy film Karwan. Directed by debutant Akarsh Khurana and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, the film features Dulquer Salmaan, Irrfan Khan, Kriti Kharbanda, and Mithila Palkar in the lead roles. Majorly shot in Ooty and Kochi, Karwan is touted to be a road film and is slated for release on 1 June.