It has taken decades, but Tamil cinema’s most anticipated pairing is finally happening. Mani Ratnam is directing a new film with Vijay Sethupathi as the male lead and Sai Pallavi as the female lead, produced by Lyca Productions and Madras Talkies. AR Rahman will compose the music, making this a reunion of two collaborators who have shaped Tamil cinema’s sound for over 30 years. Shoot is set to begin this month.
Who are the lead actors in Mani Ratnam’s next film?
Vijay Sethupathi plays the male lead, and Sai Pallavi plays the female lead in what is being described as a romantic entertainer. The casting was far from straightforward. Before Vijay Sethupathi was confirmed, Dulquer Salmaan and Karthi were both in serious consideration for the male lead role. For the female lead, Keerthy Suresh was the first choice, with Dhruv Vikram, Rukmini Vasanth, and Silambarasan also considered at various points. That Mani Ratnam ultimately landed on Vijay Sethupathi and Sai Pallavi says a great deal about where the director wanted to take this story.
What has Vijay Sethupathi said about working with Mani Ratnam?
Vijay Sethupathi has been famously vocal about his philosophy on roles: “Repetition is death for me.” A Mani Ratnam film, by definition, offers him the opposite. This marks the first major collaboration between the two, and for an actor who has played everything from a gentle giant in Super Deluxe to a layered villain in Jawan, the romantic lead framing in a Mani Ratnam world is genuinely new territory. His only previous connection to Mani Ratnam’s universe was a role in Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (2018), where he played police inspector Rasool, a supporting part in an ensemble film. A full Mani Ratnam lead is a different scale entirely.
Is AR Rahman composing music for this film?
AR Rahman is confirmed as the music composer, and reports indicate he has already begun working on the score. The Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman partnership stretches back to Roja (1992), and together they have produced some of the most celebrated soundtracks in Indian cinema history, including Bombay, Dil Se, Alaipayuthey, Guru, Kadal, and Ponniyin Selvan. A counter-report from PinkVilla had suggested Sai Abhyankkar as a possible alternative, but that remains unconfirmed and the weight of evidence points firmly to Rahman on board.
Who is the cinematographer and what else is known about the crew?
Ravi Varman is confirmed as the cinematographer, marking his first collaboration with Mani Ratnam. Ravi Varman’s credits include Barfi!, Tamasha, and Brahmastra, films known for their visual ambition. His combination with Mani Ratnam’s signature visual language is one of the more intriguing creative pairings this project brings together. The production banner is a combination of Lyca Productions, which has backed Mani Ratnam’s recent large-scale work including Ponniyin Selvan Parts 1 and 2, and Mani Ratnam’s own Madras Talkies.
When will Mani Ratnam’s film with Vijay Sethupathi release?
The film is expected to release by the end of 2026. Shoot begins in March 2026 according to production sources. With AR Rahman already working on the music and the full technical crew in place, the timeline is aggressive but realistic for a year-end arrival. No official title has been announced yet.