Filmmaker Mari Selvaraj has officially begun shooting for his next Tamil film, Manjanathi. The project marks the director’s sixth feature film and comes with a significant first for his career, as he collaborates with veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja for the first time.
The makers announced the commencement of filming today, while also unveiling additions to the already announced ensemble cast. Poornima Ravi, Vidhu and Kaaka Muttai-fame J Vignesh have joined Priyanka Mohan, Kayadu Lohar and Kathir in the film.
Manjanathi is particularly noteworthy for bringing Mari Selvaraj back together with Kathir. The actor headlined the filmmaker’s acclaimed debut Pariyerum Perumal in 2018, a film that established Mari as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Tamil cinema. The two are now set to reunite several years after their first collaboration.
Poornima Ravi, meanwhile, shares screen space with Kathir again following their appearance together in the JioHotstar crime drama Lingam. With a cast that brings together established performers and newer faces, Manjanathi has already generated curiosity around the world Mari Selvaraj is creating this time.
A new chapter in Mari Selvaraj’s filmmaking journey
Since making his debut with Pariyerum Perumal, Mari Selvaraj has built a filmography that frequently explores caste, social inequality, identity and marginalisation through emotionally charged narratives. His subsequent films, including Karnan, Maamannan and Vaazhai, have further established his ability to combine socially rooted storytelling with accessible cinematic narratives.
Manjanathi now adds another intriguing element to his body of work through his association with Ilaiyaraaja. The legendary composer has scored music for some of the most influential films in Tamil cinema over several decades, making his collaboration with Mari Selvaraj one of the film’s biggest talking points.
The technical crew features several familiar names from the Tamil film industry. Ezhil Arasu K has been brought on board as the cinematographer, while Selva RK is handling the editing. Ramu Thangaraj serves as the art director, with Dhilip Subbarayan choreographing the action sequences.
Manjanathi also expands Mari Selvaraj’s production slate
The film is being produced by Mari Selvaraj and his wife, Divya Mari Selvaraj, under their Navvi Studios banner. Sushant Prasad is co-producing the project through Skanda Pictures, with Fortune also backing the film.
While details about the plot and the characters played by the ensemble cast are currently being kept under wraps, the reunion between Mari Selvaraj and Kathir is likely to remain one of the film’s key attractions. Their previous collaboration, Pariyerum Perumal, was both critically acclaimed and influential, making their return particularly significant.
Manjanathi is not the only project keeping Mari Selvaraj busy behind the scenes. The filmmaker is also producing Maakali, which stars Ameer and marks the directorial debut of SB Aravinth, one of his former assistant directors. With Manjanathi now entering production, Mari continues to expand his creative footprint both as a director and producer.
As filming gets underway, the combination of Mari Selvaraj’s distinctive storytelling, Ilaiyaraaja’s music and a promising ensemble cast makes Manjanathi one of the more anticipated Tamil films currently in production.
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