Thalapathy 68 - First look release postponed as a mark of respect to late Vijayakanth

The first look of Thalapthy Vijay’s highly anticipated sci-fi drama Thalapathy 68, which was expected to be unveiled on New Year’s Day, has now been postponed, as a mark of respect to the late actor-politician Vijayakanth, who passed away on December 28. According to reports, the makers have pushed the announcement as fans are mourning the death of the legendary actor and Vijay’s mentor. The official title and first look of the Venkat Prabhu directorial will be unveiled some time in January 2024. 

Vijay’s long-term association with Vijayakanth

Vijay had been close to Vijayakanth since the beginning of his career. For the uninitiated, Vijay, whose acting career began as a child artiste, became a lead actor with Naalaya Theerpu (1992), which was directed by his father, SA Chandrasekhar. The film, however, didn’t do well at the box office, and he was criticised for it. In that crucial moment, Chandrasekhar decided to cast Vijay alongside the already-established hero Vijayakanth to gain acceptance for him among the masses. Vijayakanth, who used to frequently collaborate with Chandrasekhar, agreed to work with Vijay on the project and even waived his fee.

Acknowledging this phase of his career and Vijayakanth’s support during that time, the Leo actor said in a 1998 interview, “Vijayakanth sir has always been a mentor to me, then and now. My father did a movie with him [Senthoorapandi], in which I was his younger brother. So, audiences got introduced to me through that film, because they had come to watch Vijayakanth sir. That was the intention with which the film was made. The movie went on to become a success.”

Thalapathy 68’s cast and crew

Vijay’s Thalapathy 68 is touted to be a sci-fi movie. Its official title is rumoured to be G.O.A.T., but the makers are yet to confirm that. Vijay is likely to appear in multiple roles in the upcoming movie, which is said to be an adaptation of Will Smith starrer Gemini Man. The project uses de-aging technology to show Vijay as a 19-year-old. The cast also includes Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Sneha, Laila, Mohan, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Jayaram, Yogi Babu, VTV Ganesh, Vaibhav, Aravind Akash and Ajmal Ameer in supporting roles. Yuvan Shankar Raja has scored music for the film, while Siddhartha Nuni is its cinematographer. The project is bankrolled by AGS Entertainment.

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