Tamil cinema’s celebrated filmmaker Vetrimaaran is once again set to revisit the gritty underworld of North Chennai with an untitled project starring Silambarasan TR (Simbu), set in the same universe as his critically acclaimed film Vada Chennai. In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the director shed light on the origins of the story and what fans can expect.

The roots of Vada Chennai trace back to 2003 when a friend’s stolen bike inadvertently led Vetrimaaran into Chennai’s hidden world of gangs and power struggles. “Slowly, he got to know the mafia, and I wanted to know more. I started meeting people and talking to them,” Vetrimaaran shared. One particular encounter became pivotal : a man he met had lived a life that had never been portrayed on screen. He started documenting his experiences, providing Vetrimaaran with the foundation that eventually grew into Vada Chennai.

Interestingly, the first draft of the film was initially designed with Simbu in mind before it evolved into the Dhanush-led version that became a landmark in Tamil cinema. Now, Vetrimaaran is circling back to that early vision, but with a fresh approach. “We have set it in the same timelines, but at a different place,” he explained. “Most of the characters would weave into this story and then go out. This story on its own is a film, but those characters come and add more drama.”

However, Vetrimaaran has confirmed that Dhanush’s character Anbu will not be a part of this project. Despite that, expectations remain high for Vada Chennai 2, which the director plans to work on after wrapping up the current film. “Immediately after Vada Chennai, we were supposed to do Vada Chennai 2, but producer S. Thanu wanted a new story. Since Vada Chennai IP belongs to Dhanush, we moved forward with Asuran instead,” he revealed.


While fans eagerly await the much-talked-about sequel, Vetrimaaran is focused on crafting a raw, intense narrative that brings Simbu into the ‘Vada Chennai’ universe, a world he first envisioned over two decades ago.

Source : Hollywood Reported India