Kannada actor Shivarajkumar is currently busy promoting his upcoming film 45, in which he co-stars with Upendra and Raj B Shetty. At a press meet in Hyderabad, the actor confirmed that he is a part of Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2, helmed by Nelson.
When a reporter asked him whether he will be appearing in Jailer 2, Shivarajkumar said, “Yes. Nelson has told me that I am a part of the sequel. They’ve commenced shooting the film, but I am yet to join the shoot.” Further, in a candid and light-hearted tone, the veteran actor admitted that he never expected his character from Jailer to be celebrated the way it was.
“I only did Jailer because of Rajini, sir. He is like a father figure to me, and I told Nelson that I don’t even need the story to be a part of the film. I was willing to appear for even a passing scene in Rajini sir’s film. Even now, I don’t understand why my character from Jailer received that much appreciation. My wife asks me, ‘What did you do in Jailer? You lit a cigar and pushed a tissue box.’ I think I have to be grateful to the cinematographer for showing me in good light and to Anirudh for the elevating background music.”
Another reporter asked the actor whether he will be sharing screen space with Nandamuri Balakrishna in Jailer 2. “I am not sure if Balakrishna sir is there in the film. Nelson only informed me that I will be reprising my role. But I would love to star alongside Balakrishna sir. Sir and I have never shared a scene together, but we’re very close offscreen. In fact, he used to call my father ‘Chikappa’ (uncle). He’s a very close family friend, and it would be a pleasure to work with him,” he revealed.
Jailer 2 went on floors nearly a month ago in Chennai. Jailer also featured Mohanlal, Jackie Shroff, and Sunil in guest roles along with Shivarajkumar. Vinayakan, Ramya Krishnan, Tamannaah Bhatia, Vasanth Ravi, Mirnaa Menon, and Yogi Babu starred in supporting roles in the first film.
In January, Sun Pictures, the makers of the film, released a teaser, confirming Rajinikanth's return as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian, with Anirudh set to reprise his role as music composer. While the film's star-studded cast and extended technical crew are yet to be announced, fans are eagerly awaiting more updates.