Actor-director Pradeep Ranganathan has been enjoying back-to-back successes with Love Today (2022) and Dragon (2025), and is gearing up for two releases this year with Dude and Love Insurance Kompany. While it was a sure-shot collaboration with Vignesh Shivan's sci-fi romantic comedy, Pradeep revealed that he rejected Dude's script multiple times before he said yes to it.
Speaking to Anupama Chopra for Hollywood Reporter India, Pradeep said he admires director Keerthiswaran's perseverance and that he sees himself in the debutant. "Keerthiswaran first reached out to me via a person who knew my co-director. When I read the synopsis that he sent through my email, I instantly said no. The main crux of the story was a shocker to me and I was worried if this might reach the audiences in the right way or if I would be subjected to mockery," he shared.
Pradeep didn't want to dip his feet into a risky territory. "I was also working on another romantic film Love Insurance Kompany. I didn't want to work in the same genre. Despite rejecting it many times, he contacted me through various means and started irritating me. Later, he went to Mythri Movie Makers and they accepted the script. When the enquired him on whom he wants as the hero. When he said my name, the production company reached out to me and I didn't want to say no to the producer as his opportunities might get affected," he added.
When the script was slightly altered to suit the sensibilities of audiences, Pradeep admitted that he loved it. "The shocker was still there. I was concerned as to how it would be presented. It took four to five months... but I saw myself in him, the way he grew up, worked his way to where he is, taking notes while I was suggesting changes, etc., I was reminded of the Pradeep who directed Comali. Although he approached another hero when I said no, the project didn't materialise as that actor was busy with his committments," he revealed.
Dude is Pradeep's fourth film as the lead. He has previously headlined Love Today, which was released in 2022 in which he also served as the director; Ashwath Marimuthu's Dragon, and Vignesh Shivan's Love Insurance Kompany (LIK).
The film, also featuring Mamitha Baiju, Sarathkumar, Hridhu Haroon, Rohini and Dravid Selvam, is bankrolled by Mythri Movie Makers and will also release in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi, apart from Tamil. This film is the production company's second Tamil film after Ajith Kumar's latest hit, Good Bad Ugly. Plot details of Dude are currently unknown.
Keerthiswaran had earlier worked as an assistant director for Sudha Kongara in Soorarai Pottru, her segments in Paava Kadhaigal and Putham Pudhu Kaalai. On the technical team, the film has cinematography by Niketh Bommi, and editing by Barath Vikraman.
While it was earlier announced that Dude and Vignesh Shivan's LIK would clash at the box office on October 17, the makers of LIK have decided to push the release as a "respect for the efforts behind both films" to December 18 this year. With Dude and LIK, Pradeep would enjoy three releases this year. Dragon hit theatres in February.