It is well-known that actor Ken Karunaas is making his directorial debut with the upcoming film Youth. Although he has worked in many critically acclaimed films, helming his first film came with a myriad of challenges. In a recent event at a private college, the actor-turned-director revealed that he found it difficult to convince people regarding making the film, and expressed his gratitude to composer-singer GV Prakash for trusting them and scoring music for the film without any remuneration.
"Nobody believed us... not even our parents. They were questioning us on why we wanted to make this. At this juncture, we wanted a big music director's name to mount our film for better visibility. I was ranting about the same to GV Prakash anna. He told me to bring the script and said that he would score music for the film. In fact, he created music for the film for me, without any salary for it," he shared, emphasising the bond he shares with him.
He also revealed that he wanted to make a light-hearted film that audiences could resonate with. "One evening, during a casual discussion on our terrace, a friend began sharing stories from his school days. That prompted me to recall my own memories from school. We were all laughing uncontrollably, and that was when we realised there was a spark in those moments that could become a fun film," he shared, talking about the idea that sparked the film.
Billed as a fun entertainer, the cast also features Suraj Venjaramoodu, Anishma Anil Kumar, Devadarshini, Meenakshi Dinesh, and Priyanshi Yadav. The film was announced in October 2025, and completed production in December 2025.
Ken, Vignesh Srikanth, and Eshwar Santhanalakshmi have written lyrics for the film. Besides GV Prakash, the technical crew of Youth includes Viki as the cinematographer, Nash as the editor, and Ramu Thangaraj as the editor. For the unversed, GV Prakash had composed music for Asuran (2018) and Vaathi (2023), which featured Ken in key supporting roles.
The upcoming film is produced by Karuppiah C Ram, Sulochana Kumar, and Kali Rajkumar. Paarvathaa Entertainments and Street Boy Studios are producing the film which is slated for a March 19 release in theatres.