Varma, the Tamil remake of the Telugu film Arjun Reddy, marks the debut of Vikram’s son Dhruv, who will reprise Vijay Deverakonda’s role.
Announced last November, the regular shooting of the film, according to reliable sources, began in Kathmandu, Nepal, in March. After shooting some important scenes, the team returned to Chennai where they began filming the second schedule of the film, which is directed by Bala, fresh off the success of Naachiyaar.
Apparently, the makers are yet to zero in on the woman lead. Shalini Pandey, who played the role in the original, was considered briefly but Bala is reportedly keen on roping in a newcomer. The team is still on the lookout for a suitable heroine and the process is taking more time than expected.
Meanwhile, recent reports suggest that actress Easwari Rao, last seen in Rajinikanth’s Kaala, has been roped in for a crucial role in the film. Neither the actor nor the makers have confirmed the reports but the news has got film buffs excited as the senior actor earned many fans through her performance in Kaala.
Vikram had hinted in the past that his son would eventually follow in his footsteps. However, he wasn’t sure whether he’d be interested in acting or direction. Last year, Dhruv directed a short film called Goodnight Charlie, about child abuse within a family. When the film came out, many assumed that he had directorial dreams and would enter the industry as a director. It was therefore surprising that he decided to don the greasepaint. It won’t be an easy debut considering the high expectations people have on the remake, thanks to the popularity of the character Arjun Reddy, a contemporary take on Devdas, the film exploring love and suffering in the most hard-hitting fashion.
Filmmaker Raju Murugan, known for helming films such as Cuckoo and Joker, has been signed to pen the dialogues. The project is being bankrolled by E4 Entertainment, producers of popular Malayalam films such as Ezra and Godha.
(Content provided by Digital Native)