Kamal Haasan announces new production

NEW DELHI: Actor Kamal Haasan has announced a new production that will star producer actor Udhayanidhi Stalin in the lead. The two had earlier collaborated on Haasan’s Vikram that released last month.

Stalin, son of M. K. Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, and grandson of former chief minister M. Karunanidhi, launched his banner Red Giant Movies with the film Kuruvi (2008), starring Vijay and Trisha. He then produced two films directed by K. S. Ravikumar, Aadhavan (2009) and Manmadan Ambu (2010), besides AR Murugadoss’s science fiction film 7aum Arivu (2011). He has also distributed films like Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, A. L. Vijay’s Madrasapattinam, M. Rajesh’s Boss Engira Bhaskaran and Prabhu Solomon’s Mynaa.

In 2012, he debuted as a lead actor in M. Rajesh’s romantic comedy Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (2012), co-starring Hansika Motwani and Santhanam, the success of which led him to appear in Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal (2014) and Nanbenda (2015), both featuring him opposite Nayanthara. He has also worked in Gethu (2016), with Amy Jackson and courtroom drama Manithan (2016), with Hansika Motwani, a remake of the Hindi film Jolly LLB.

In 2017, he was seen in comedy entertainer Saravanan Irukka Bayamaen by director Ezhil, followed by Podhuvaga Emmanasu Thangam and action thriller, Ippadai Vellum. Stalin has also appeared in drama Nimir (2018), a remake of Malayalam film Maheshinte Prathikaaram directed by Priyadarshan and romantic drama, Kanne Kalaimaane.

Regional cinema was the first to bounce back to business after the reopening of theatres last year. Unlike the Hindi film industry which did not take the plunge to release new movies in theatres for over four months since the government allowed them to re-open, cinema owners had pointed to the enterprising regional movie industries that wasted no time in scheduling a bunch of films and registered decent occupancies.