I was apprehensive about playing a cop in Nenjuku Needhi: Udhayanidhi Stalin

The trailer of Nenjukku Needhi was launched in Chennai on May 9. The film is directed by Arunraja Kamaraj of Kanaa fame

Udhayanidhi Stalin in Nenjuku Needhi

We had told you Udhayanidhi Stalin was headlining Nenjuku Needhi, a social drama, directed by Arunraja Kamaraj. The film is an official Tamil remake of Article 15.

The trailer of Nenjukku Needhi was launched in Chennai on May 9. Speaking at the event, Udhayanidhi said he was apprehensive about playing a cop for the first time in his career. “It was cinematographer Dinesh Krishnan's work that fetched me the correct look. Many people warned me not to do the film when I told them that it would be the Article 15 remake. COVID19 also affected us big time!”

Boney Kapoor added, “I've done almost 50 films. But Nenjuku Needhi will be one of the precious films in my career. After watching the film, my son told me that it is better than the original.”

Sivakarthikeyan, who was also present at the audio launch, said after Kanaa, he wanted to do a film with Arunraja again. "I'm happy that he has become a big name in the industry now. Little did I know he would make such a serious film when we studied together in college."

The actor showered praise on Udhayanidhi Stalin. "Powerful people make powerful films. It's both surprising and inspiring that Udhay sir can manage cinema and politics at the same time. It's all in the genes. He's the real don," added Sivakarthikeyan.

Bankrolled by Zee Studios and Boney Kapoor's Bayview Projects, in association with Romeo Pictures, Nenjuku Needhi also stars Bigg Boss Tamil-fame Aari, Tanya Ravichandran, Shivani Rajashekar and Yamini Chander, Suresh Chakravarthi, Ilavarasan, Mayilsamy, and others, in pivotal roles.

Arunraja Kamaraj, in an interview with The Times of India, said the team couldn’t find a better title. “The film talks about social justice and the stuff that involves our conscience. Also, Kalaignar M Karunanidhi ayya’s autobiography was titled Nenjukku Needhi. In that sense, there is a personal connection, too. When I suggested this name, everyone was happy about it."

On working with Udhayanidhi, Arunraja added, “The way he understands a scene and enacts them is phenomenal. He has done a great job and we can’t wait to show the film to the audience.”

Arunraja Kamaraj assured Nenjuku Needhi was more of an adaptation of the Hindi original and not a replica. “We have made a lot of changes to the screenplay and have written additional screenplay. Even the opening scene will be different. We’ve packed the film with local elements as there are geographical and societal changes,” he told The Times of India.

The film, slated to release on May 20, has cinematography by Dinesh Krishnan B, editing by Ruben, and music by Dhibu Ninan Thomas.

Notably, Article 15, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and directed by Anubhav Sinha, was released in 2019 to critical acclaim.

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