Before releasing Yaanai, we travelled all over Tamil Nadu, met people and observed their reactions: Arun Vijay

Yaanai is directed by Arun Vijay's brother-in-law and filmmaker, Hari of Singam-fame.

Arun Vijay/Facebook

Arun Vijay, who headlines Yaanai, which hit the screens on July 1, assured that the Hari directorial would be a thoroughly engaging film. "I am sure whatever we made will impact the audience. We travelled across districts in Tamil Nadu, met people and observed their real emotions. This exercise was quite similar to people marketing products door-to-door. We played the trailer to the public and saw their reactions," said the actor.

Yaanai, directed by Hari, was released on approximately 1,100 screens worldwide. Besides Arun Vijay, the film stars Priya Bhavani Shankar, Samuthirakani, Yogi Babu, Ammu Abirami, KGF-fame Ramachandra Raju, and Radikaa Sarathkumar, among others.

Yaanai marks the maiden collaboration between Arun Vijay and his brother-in-law and director Hari.

“As a team, we are confident that the film will leave the audience with a heavy heart. Yaanai is best suited for the theatrical experience, and we didn't want to release it on OTT. It is a big release for me, and we put genuine efforts into making this film,” added Arun Vijay.

After a pause, he said, he had long been waiting for a commercial hit. "I haven't done a rural-based film in a while, and I hope Yaanai will increase my marketability as a commercial actor. The film has raised people's expectations. I want my films to be good entertainers which have all the box office ingredients in the right proportion.”

Arun Vijay insists, "Yaanai is not your usual commercial potboiler. Yes, it has Hari's signature elements, but it's also rife with strong emotion."

In his never-ending quest to try something new, Arun is foraying into the OTT space with TamilRockerz. "It seemed like an apt project to explore OTT. I have a good working relationship with Arivazhagan and his team after that time spent on Kuttram 23 and Borrder (the film is due out soon). A web series has plenty of creative space, and nothing is compromised. I liked that aspect a lot."

The Legendary AVM Productions is backing the project as their maiden series production.

Arun Vijay has been into films since 1995. He completed about 18 films up until 2015; some of which were successful while others were not when he decided to star in Ajith's Yennai Arindhaal. "It was a sort of game-changer. I can't wait to team up with Gautham Menon, once again!"

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