The trailer of filmmaker Mari Selvaraj’s highly anticipated Maamannan was released on Friday, June 16. The trailer begins with Vadivelu’s dialogue in the background, “I might be singing the same song, but I will sing it as long as I live. I shall rip my gut out, transform it into a lute and make its strings echo in every street. I will keep seeking the ears which want to hear the truth.” These lines are from a poem written by Telugu poet Nagamuni.
Director Mari Selvaraj is known for the strong anti-caste themes in his films, and Maamannan is his third film after Pariyerum Perumal and Karnan. The trailer shows Vadivelu in the role of a musician who passes his art down to young children. Udhayanidhi Stalin is seen in the role of his son. Fahadh Faasil appears in the role of a power-hungry politician who is also filled with bloodlust. He is shown hunting down a boy using hounds, while seemingly also going after the innocent boy himself after mounting on a horse.
The trailer also shows Fahadh preventing people from Vadivelu’s community from entering a village. Fahadh’s goons are shown demolishing houses and also Vadivelu’s studio, suggesting that Fahadh’s character in the film is that of a casteist antagonist. Vadivelu seems to belong to a Dalit community, as Udhayanidhi is seen caressing a piglet towards the end of the three-minute-long trailer.
The intense trailer shows Vadivelu in a never-seen-before avatar. He is shown confronting Fahadh along with Udhayanidhi, the duo armed with a gun and sword respectivelty. The film also stars Keerthy Suresh in a prominent role.
Maamannan is likely to release on June 29. The film is produced by Red Giant Movies, which is also headed by Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. Maamannan, according to a previous announcement by Udhayanidhi, is likely to be the actor-politician’s final appearance on screen. The film also marks the first collaboration between AR Rahman, Udhayanidhi Stalin, and Mari Selvaraj. Maamanna is expected to have even stronger political themes compared to the filmmaker’s previous films, Pariyerum Perumal and Karnan.
Watch the trailer: