Rajinikanth's next with director Karthik Subbaraj announced; Vijay Sethupathi to appear in pivotal role

Even as speculations surrounding the postponement of Rajinikanth’s Kaala due to the ongoing stalemate in Kollywood between the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC), Theater Owners Association, and Digital Service Providers - have begun to spread wildly, the pre-production work of his next highly-anticipated film with director Karthik Subbaraj is swiftly underway. [caption id=“attachment_4389413” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Vijay Sethupathi and Rajinikanth. Image from Twitter/@behindwoods[/caption] Karthik Subbaraj, who is currently awaiting the release of silent film Mercury starring Prabhu Deva in the lead role, told in a media interaction: “I’m a diehard fan of Rajinikanth sir. I have done four movies totally including Mercury, which is waiting to hit screens. Rajini sir was one of the significant reasons for me to enter the film industry. He made me fall in love with this fantasy world. Now, I feel quite privileged and thrilled to direct him. I think I will make a proper ‘Rajini’ film. I will be helming the project as a Thalaivar fan.” Recounting the memorable phone call he received from superstar just after making his directorial debut with the 2012 blockbuster Pizza, Karthik said, “I will never forget the first call I received from Rajini sir after watching Pizza. I was traveling somewhere in Madurai then. His encouraging words had boosted my confidence. It was an incredible moment. Later, I met him in Karnataka on the shooting spot of Lingaa. He appreciated by directorial effort in Jigarthanda. I had confessed to him that I wrote Bobby Simha’s role in the film by keeping in mind his Parattai character in Bharathiraja’s 16 Vayadhinile. He casually said he would have done the part himself had I told him.” Karthik said he’s quite aware of the expectations from Rajinikanth fans. “Since it’s a Rajini sir film and Sun Pictures is producing it, the expectations have risen, and my responsibility is manifold. Rajini sir liked the script very much when I narrated, and immediately gave his nod. We are planning to start shooting in two months time. The entire project will be wrapped up this year itself,” he said. The latest development is that Vijay Sethupathi, who has collaborated with Karthik Subbaraj in films like Pizza and Iraivi apart from a special cameo in Jigarthanda, is in talks to play a pivotal role in the movie. “Karthik and Vijay have a long-standing relationship since they have been working with each other since their short film days. They share a great rapport. Although Vijay’s calendar is chockablock with projects, he is very keen to figure out a way to do the film. Sun Pictures will make an official announcement once everything is finalised. The first schedule will commence sometime in May and a look test will be conducted for Rajinikanth next month,” a source in the know told FirstPost. Composer Anirudh Ravichander has been signed to score the music for this yet-untitled project, which marks his first association in a Rajinikanth film. It’s also the first time that Karthik Subbaraj is collaborating with someone other than Santhosh Narayanan, who has worked on all his projects. Rajinikanth is currently on a two-week-long spiritual trip to the Himalayas and was spotted near the Dayanand Saraswati Ashram in Rishikesh, which marks day four of his journey. Since TFPC had reiterated its stance on the mass shutdown last evening, the release of Kaala, which was earlier announced to hit screens on 27 April, remains highly uncertain now.