MS Dhoni, to produce a film in Tamil, starring Nayanthara in lead?

Grapevine has it that former Indian cricketer MS Dhoni would make his entry into Tamil cinema, as a producer soon. Though we await official confirmation on the same, we hear the project is likely to have Nayanthara in the lead. A source tells OTTplay, "If everything goes well, the announcement will be made after the IPL ends." Unconfirmed reports say this untitled film will go on floors this month-end.

Nayanthara's beau, Vignesh Shivn, basking in the success of Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, also an ardent fan of Dhoni, has directed the cricketer, in a promo video for the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. This happened in February, this year.

Production isn't new to Dhoni. In 2020, it was announced that he would be backing a mythological sci-fi web series, as well. Interestingly, it is an adaptation of an unpublished book by a debutant author. The cricketer's wife, Sakshi Dhoni, who is the managing director of the production house, said the upcoming series was a “thrilling adventure”.

A press release said, "The book is a mythological sci-fi which explores the journey of a mysterious Aghori who has been captured at a high-tech facility. The secrets revealed by this Aghori could alter the myths of the ancient, beliefs of the existing and course of the forthcoming."

Sakshi Dhoni, further, added, “We would like to ensure that we execute all the aspects of this universe and bring out every character and story to the screen, with as much precision as possible. Web-series fit our purpose better than adapting it into a feature film."

Indian cricketers venturing into Tamil cinema has become a trend. Earlier, Harbhajan Singh forayed into Kollywood with Santhanam-starrer, Dikkiloona, and also went on to play the lead role in Friendship. Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan will be making his acting debut with Vikram's Cobra, directed by Ajay Gnanamuthu.

Meanwhile, Nayanthara is looking forward to shooting Lion, directed by Atlee. This will mark her Bollywood debut. The project, which stars Shah Rukh Khan, is tipped to be an action entertainer. Reportedly, Shah Rukh Khan will play two roles in the film; a father and a son. Lion also stars Sanya Malhotra and Sunil Grover in supporting roles.

In Tamil, she has O2, Ashwin Saravanan's Connect, and Godfather, in her kitty. O2, directed by GS Viknesh; produced by Dream Warrior Pictures, will directly premiere on Disney+Hotstar in the first week of June.