Anushka Shetty is the uncrowned queen of the jungle with Singam 2 – yes, you read right! Starring opposite the Singam himself, she is quite the lioness, indeed! Or should we say tigress, after that super cute scene in Singam where she dons the role of a tiger? Reprising her role in the original as Kavya Mahalingam, the love interest of Duraisingam, Anushka’s presence on screen is much more than just that of eye-candy.

Suriya’s voice is fi lled with that indefi nable fatigue that comes with endless traveling and not enough sleep, perhaps. “I’m still trying to fi gure out the time zones,” he grins languidly. “I think my body hasn’t been able to process all the jet lag, even though I came home a couple of days ago.” The moment he starts talking of Singam 2, his blockbuster-in-the- making, however, all traces of exhaustion vanish, and it’s as though he’s just back from the shooting-spot, still completely involved in the movie.

It is a gripping venture for Vendhar Movies, as their production, Thillu Mullu has been certified a clean ‘U’ by the Censor Board. Producer S Madhan can’t stop gushing about the film. “We have spent a lot on this power-packed film. The USP of the film is the title itself, in the first place, because it takes roots in the original 1981 Superstar film Thillu Mullu. If you ask me what the crowd-puller in the film is, I would say that it is the title itself which will bring audiences to theatres,” says Madhan.

Director Badri of Thillu Mullu, the remake of the 1981 cult hit of the same name, starring Superstar Rajinikanth says that it is but natural for audiences to draw comparisons between the two films and have high expectations from the remake. “We are promising the audience a refreshed, spanking new version of the film. I have said it all in the trailer of the film itself!” he says. “I did not choose to remake this film. During the making of Sundar C’s Kalakalappu, Shiva and I shared a good rapport, and we wanted to do a project together.

Daughter of Hindi film actor Vinod Talwar, Isha started off as a model. After a stint on television, she moved to the big screen starting off with Hindi cinema, followed by two successive films in Malayalam. After her debut in Telugu cinema recently, in Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde, Isha Talwar is now all set for her launch in Tamil cinema. Isha’s first full-fledged film in a significant role was Thattathin Marayathu (Malayalam), for which she is known to have prepared for two long years.

Shiva or ‘Mirchi’ Shiva as he is fondly called, is gung-ho about his Thillu Mullu. “The most memorable aspect of this project is the fact that we, as a team, visited Superstar Rajinikanth. He said that he had a strong feeling that this film would do well! What more could we ask for?” says Shiva. “Our audiences and fans will sub-consciously compare this with the older version. Even I grew up watching Rajini sir’s films. There is a tendency to imitate the Superstar, in most of the films that have come, especially in Tamil.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Tamilnadu would fondly name the 1981 Rajinikanth-starrer Thillu Mullu as one of their most favourite films of all time. Such is the impact the comedy caper had and continues to exert on Tamil audiences. With the mere mention of the name, the cult-favourite interview scene in the film, between Superstar Rajinikanth and Thengai Srinivasan springs to mind.

This is your second fi lm. The expectations must have put a lot of pressure on you…

I ask him about his choice of title, considering Edhirneechal is a K Balachander classic. The direcor laughs, “I do like the Nagesh classic, but that’s not why I chose the title. It simply refl ects the story very well. That’s all.” Why this cast, though? Was there any reason he opted for these actors? “Actually, if you want to know the truth, they chose me. Actor Dhanush wanted to make a fi lm with Sivakarthikeyan in the lead.

Think of the phrase ‘swimming against the tide’, and you’ll often conjure up the image of a struggling swimmer, trying to combat the zesty waves that are determined to push him back each time. Director RS Durai Senthilkumar’s film Ethir Neechal talks about the theme of swimming against the tide to achieve your goal, but packages it with so much humour and panache that it is no wonder the film is a summer bumper hit. The star cast includes Sivakarthikeyan, Priya Anand and Nandita in the lead roles. The cherry on top is Dhanush, who dons the producer’s hat.