Director Midhun Manuel Thomas has firmly dismissed rumours that Nikhila Vimal will feature in an item dance number in the Jayasurya-starrer Aadu 3. Addressing the reports, Midhun said he was taken aback by the headlines. “When I woke up one morning, there were big headlines saying Nikhila was doing an item dance. One or two director friends even called to ask me whether she was performing an item dance. We were sitting in a corner, unaware of all this. When we asked Nikhila, she said we can talk about it after the film releases. In truth, there is no such concept as an item dance in our film. We do have a dance number, and someone performs it. But it is certainly not Nikhila,” he said.
The director also spoke about the scale and structure of the third instalment, which will unfold in two parts. Midhun shared that the script for the second part has already been completed. What has currently been shot functions as an introduction, paving the way for the continuation. If audiences respond positively and give the team a green signal, work on the follow-up will begin, he added. He also disclosed that there was initially a plan to make Aadu 3 in 3D, an idea first suggested by actor Saiju Kurup. However, as the project's scale expanded during production, the team decided to abandon the 3D format. The film has since evolved into what Midhun describes as an epic fantasy, marking a tonal shift for the franchise.
Aadu 3 sees Jayasurya return as Shaji Pappan, alongside Vinayakan, Saiju Kurup, Sunny Wayne, Dharmajan Bolgatty, Indrans and Vijay Babu. The recently released trailer hints at a fantasy turn, opening in a different era with Jayasurya appearing as a king who speaks of a mysterious and immensely powerful weapon. Several characters appear in dual looks, suggesting a narrative that spans two time periods.
The Aadu franchise began with the 2015 original, which underperformed in cinemas before gaining cult status through home viewing. Its growing popularity led to the commercial success of the 2017 sequel. Known for its exaggerated and irreverent humour, the series has since built a loyal fan base. Aadu 3 is scheduled for worldwide release on March 19 and will face box-office competition from Yash’s Toxic and Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar: The Revenge over the same weekend.