MANOJ IN A TAMIL FILM

Manoj Bajpayee in Samaran

The National Award-winning actor is playing a crucial role in Vishal's next with director Thiru

M Suganth

It looks like Vishal has managed to bring acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee to Tamil cinema. The actor, who set the screen on fire with powerful performances in films like Satya, Pinjar and Rajneeti, is currently shooting with the Samaran crew in Bangkok.
Directed by Thiru (who earlier made Theeratha Vilayattu Pillai with Vishal), the film stars Trisha and Sunaina as the female leads. Yuvan Shankar Raj is composing the music while Ko cinematographer Richard M Nathan handles the camera.
The director had earlier expressed his desire in casting Arvind Swamy for the role, but the actor had declined saying that he did not have any plans for a comeback. The unit had then roped in Prakash Raj for the role. However, we learn that the actor could not be a part of the project after the shooting got postponed by a month.
Says Richard Nathan, "Though Prakash Raj was impressed with the script, he could not adjust his dates after the shoot got postponed. So, we approached Manoj Bajpayee, who agreed after hearing his role."
While there is speculation that the character that Manoj is playing is a negative one, the source refuses to reveal the exact details. "All I can say at this point is that it is a powerful role that fits an actor of his stature," he adds.
Meanwhile, the unit has also roped in Tollywood actor J D Chakravarthy, who was last seen in Sarvvam. Scenes featuring the two actors were shot recently in Thailand and the crew were very much impressed with the performances of both the actors.

Manoj Bajpayee