'STR 49' faces twists and turns: Was there a creative clash between Silambarasan and Santhanam over Ramkumar Balakrishnan's directorial?
Actor
Silambarasan TR
's 49th film, tentatively titled 'STR 49,' was officially launched with a pooja under the direction of 'Parking' fame Ramkumar. Shooting was initially scheduled to begin in June.
However, unexpected roadblocks emerged after the film's producer was caught in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation. Following this, it was reported that Simbu had creative disagreements with the team, leading to delays and internal tensions.
Reported rift between Simbu and
Santhanam
Comedian Santhanam was initially announced as part of 'STR 49,' marking a shift from lead roles back to a comedian's role. According to Asianet, Santhanam placed certain conditions particularly that his character should have equal importance to Silambarasan's.
These demands reportedly created friction between the two, making Simbu temporarily shelve the film. While neither the actor has officially spoken about the reported issue, the sources in the industry indicated that the fallout made Simbu rethink the film and its cast.
Change in direction after script concerns
Another obstacle allegedly originated from Ramkumar's final script, which did not satisfy Silambarasan. With increasing creative issues and production uncertainties, Simbu said that he has dropped the project in its current form and has opted for a change in the director. Ramkumar is now asked to contact other prominent actors for new undertakings, while Silambarasan has moved forward with other collaborations, including directors with films Desingh Periasamy and
Ashwath Marimuthu
.
'STR 49' gets a new life with
Vetri Maaran
The latest buzz confirms that Vetri Maaran has taken over with music composed by GV Prakash Kumar. Based on a North Chennai backdrop, the story reportedly draws from the 'Rajan Vagaira' script originally penned for Ken Karunas. The film features a star-studded cast including Kavin, Nelson, Andrea, and Samuthirakani, and the shoot is already in progress.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Shah Rukh Khan surprises fans with a cameo in Ed Sheeran's Sapphire; singer reveals how it happened in BTS video
Shah Rukh Khan has made a surprise appearance in Ed Sheeran's latest music video Sapphire, and fans can't stop talking about it. The video, which also features Arijit Singh on vocals, showcases not just a global musical collaboration but a memorable Bollywood cameo that took everyone by surprise. In a new behind-the-scenes (BTS) video shared on YouTube, Ed Sheeran opens up about how the legendary actor ended up being part of the track. In the video, Ed takes fans through his journey across India, mentioning how he travelled to Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai to shoot various portions of Sapphire. But it was his meeting with Shah Rukh Khan in Mumbai that became the highlight. 'There is no need to give context of who Shah Rukh Khan is,' Ed said. 'I would say he is probably like the first or second most famous person in the world.' He went on to reveal how the superstar invited him over to his home to play paddle. 'So we played paddle for like 3 hours and then he pitched me an idea and was like, 'Do it whenever,' and I was like, 'To be honest, I am here so like do you want to get dinner tomorrow?'' Their dinner plans turned into something far more iconic. Ed, who had already been singing the tune in Hindi by then, ended up recording parts of the song in a studio—his first time singing in Hindi. The music video was shot under the direction of Siddharth Anand, who also directed Shah Rukh in Pathaan. Ed shared how Siddharth coordinated the shoot with SRK: 'He informed me that Shah Rukh wants to meet me at his house and was waiting there. I went there with my dad and Nic, we had dinner, and then we shot his cameo.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top-Rated Senior-Friendly Laptops Search7 Learn More Undo After wrapping up the scene, Ed said SRK gave him a big hug. Sapphire, which also sees Arijit Singh joining in for the Punjabi vocals, features a bike ride sequence with Ed and Arijit—another visual that fans have loved. Released just a few days ago, the track is already gaining massive popularity across streaming platforms and social media.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Shah Rukh Khan waited for Ed Sheeran at home, agreed to do a cameo in his song Sapphire. Watch BTS video
Shah Rukh Khan dropped in for a surprise cameo in the latest music video Sapphire, sung by Ed Sheeran. The singer was in India a few months ago, where he met Arijit Singh, and toured all over the country, shooting at various places for the music video. In a new BTS video shared by the singer on his YouTube channel, Ed has now shared how Shah Rukh agreed to do the cameo. (Also read: Shah Rukh Khan sings hook line of Sapphire with Ed Sheeran, Arijit Singh spends time with singer on a barge. See post) In the BTS video, Ed detailed about the journey of travelling to Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai to shoot at various places. He then paused at the moment where Shah Rukh appears in the song, to detail how that collaboration came to occur. A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) The video then detailed how Ed sang in Hindi in a studio for the first time. Director Siddharth Anand, who directed Shah Rukh in Pathaan, informed Ed that he wants to meet Ed at his house and was waiting for him there. Ed went there with his father and Nic. 'I came back, had dinner with him, and we shot his cameo,' added Ed. Shah Rukh gave Ed a big hug after the shot. Saphhire also has Arijit Singh joining in for the vocals in Punjabi. The two of them were seen taking a bike ride in the official music video. The song, released a few days ago, is already a hit with fans.
New Indian Express
6 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Vetri Maaran starts filming for his next with Silambarasan
It is to be noted that Vada Chennai was initially set to star Silambarasan in the lead. However, as the film never materialised, it eventually went to Dhanush and ended up becoming both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. While Vetri Maaran has been promising a sequel to Vada Chennai for a while now, he has previously also spoken about spin-offs to the hit film. Details about the plot of this film are unknown at the moment. However, Dhanush recently confirmed that Vada Chennai 2 will definitely happen. Meanwhile, Vetri Maaran last directed Viduthalai: Part 2, starring Vijay Sethupathi, Soori, and Manju Warrier in lead roles. Silambarasan was recently seen in Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam's Thug Life. He has a slew of projects in the pipeline, including STR 49 with Ramkumar Balakrishnan, STR 50 with Desingh Periyasamy, and STR 51 with Ashwath Marimuthu. Nelson, on the other hand, is working on Rajinikanth's Jailer 2, the shooting for which is currently progressing in Karnataka. (This story was originally published in Cinema Express.)
