'Arasan' update: Vijay Sethupathi joins Silambarasan for major role in Vetrimaaran gangster drama

Film buffs who were awaiting an update on Silambarasan-starrer Arasan, directed by Vetrimaaran, were stunned to get a major announcement from the team on Tuesday. Producer Kalaipuli S Thanu shared that Vijay Sethupathi has joined the cast. The actor, who worked with Vetrimaaran in the Viduthalai saga, is reportedly playing the antagonist.

The film is a spin-off set in the same universe as Vada Chennai, with the events in the Dhanush-starrer said to have a direct connection to the events in Arasan. 

At a recent event, Vetrimaaran said that he would start shooting for Arasan on November 24. Since there was no update on Monday, some netizens circulated rumours of a possible delay due to unexplained reasons.

Vetrimaaran, whose last release was Viduthalai-Part 2, was earlier supposed to direct a project with Suriya called Vaadivaasal; however, the filmmaker has put it on hold due to writing delays and other technicalities that concern the safety of everyone, including the actors and animals involved in the film. He then decided to make the Simbu project in the meantime.

Sethupathi and Simbu previously shared the screen in Mani Ratnam's Chekka Chivantha Vaanam.

Meanwhile, Sethupathi has wrapped up his upcoming project, tentatively titled #PuriSethupathi, with director Puri Jagannadh, who is jointly producing the project with Charmme Kaur, and JB Narayan Rao Kondrolla of JB Mohan Pictures.

The pan-Indian project has Samyuktha playing the female lead, with Tabu, and Duniya Vijay Kumar cast in integral supporting roles. 

Harshavardhan Rameshwar, who composed the score for Arjun Reddy and Animal, is part of the team.