‘Vada Chennai’: Interesting facts about Dhanush and Vetri Maaran’s film

First trilogy in Tamil

Ever since its inception, ‘Vada Chennai’ has been projected as a trilogy, with the first instalment set to hit theatres this year. Interestingly, Vetri Maaran has simultaneously shot for the second part of the franchise as well. Earlier, it was speculated that the makers might begin work on the second part based on the response of ‘Vada Chennai’. According to Vetri Maaran, the film will chronicle the lives of people in North Chennai from early 1980 to 2000, for which he had reportedly done a lot of research to capture the essence. It must be noted that ‘Vada Chennai’ will be the first Tamil film to be made in three parts. It’s worth recalling that Vetri wrote the story of ‘Vada Chennai’ back in 2003.

‘Vada Chennai’ is tipped to be a gangster film that spans over 35 years. Reportedly, Dhanush plays Anbu, a national level carrom player, who aspires to become a world champion. The story is said to take its course following the death of a leader which leads to the split of a political party. ‘Vada Chennai’ will have a strong political angle and by Vetri Maaran’s own admission, the film will be a refreshing change in the gangster drama genre. Since the film begins in the ‘80s, the makers have spent a big amount to erect a massive retro style set.

Vetri Maaran is one of the few filmmakers who gives equal importance to his leading stars and supporting artists. This time in ‘Vada Chennai’, it boasts of names like director Ameer, Andrea Jeremiah, Aishwarya Rajesh, Daniel Balaji and Samuthirakani in important roles. Andrea Jeremiah plays Ameer’s wife named Chandra, while Aishwarya Rajesh will be playing Padma, Dhanush’s love interest. Samuthirakani as Guna and Ameer as Rajan are said to be playing crucial roles. Vetri Maaran tried to rope in actresses Samantha and Amala Paul for the female lady before finalising on Aishwarya Rajesh.

Known for his frequent collaboration with music composer GV Prakash Kumar, Vetri Maaran is working with Santhosh Narayanan for the first time in ‘Vada Chennai’. Going by reports, the film reportedly has four songs of which, one is an out-and-out "gaana number." More than the songs, Santhosh Narayanan's background score is one of the many things to look forward to in ‘Vada Chennai’. The first part of the trilogy is expected to hit the screens in June this year.

‘Vada Chennai’ is being bankrolled by Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films, which has produced some National Award-winning Tamil films like ‘Kaaka Muttai’ and ‘Visaaranai’ to name a few. According to reports, the makers have shelled out close to Rs 60 crore for the project, which is easily one of the big-budgeted films this year. It also marks Vetri Maaran’s third association with Dhanush after churning out films like ‘Polladhavan’ and ‘Aadukalam’, which were highly successful at the box office. In fact, Vetri Maaran was simultaneously working on ‘Vada Chennai’ while shooting for ‘Aadukalam’.