Ken Karunaas, who is all set to make his directorial debut with Youth, has opened up about the relationship with Abishan Jeevinth, a fellow budding director who is set to make his acting debut with the upcoming rom-com, With Love.

Speaking to Cinema Vikatan about Abishan and With Love, Ken said, "I share a close relationship with Abishan Anna. When I first completed the script of Youth, I narrated it to him and took his inputs, and we have shared that kind of rapport for quite some time now. When he told me that he was debuting as a hero with With Love, I was genuinely happy for him. My excitement only grew after watching the promo and listening to the first single of the film."

Ken also revealed that he was initially narrated the role of Sasikumar's son in Tourist Family, which was eventually portrayed by Mithun Jai Sankar. "I was actually the first person to whom he narrated the script of Tourist Family, offering me the role of Sasikumar sir’s son. However, I was busy shooting for Viduthalai 2 at the time and could not take it up, as I did not have hair on my head for the role. That was when I suggested that he take on the part himself instead of offering it to someone else. He is a very good actor, and one can sense that even when he narrates a script. So I am happy that he is finally acting in a film."

As a debut filmmaker, Ken also expressed his gratitude to producers in general who choose to back new filmmakers. "More than anything else, I am glad that producers are placing their trust in newcomers. When I began my journey with Youth, people questioned why I was trusting a debut producer, and they also asked my producer why he was investing in a newcomer like me. Yet, there are people who genuinely believe in such fresh talent, and that makes me very happy."

Billed as a fun entertainer revolving around school life, Youth also features Suraj Venjaramoodu, Anishma Anil Kumar, Devadarshini, Meenakshi Dinesh, and Priyanshi Yadav. The film is currently in its post-production stages with a release scheduled in February.