It is well known that Atharvaa is gearing up for the release of his much-anticipated romantic entertainer Idhayam Murali. Besides promising a fun, coming-of-age film, the film marks an important milestone for the actor as the film's title is a heartfelt tribute to his father and late actor Murali's iconic movie Idhayam (1991).

Idhayam Murali tells a story of one-sided love. The latest trailer for it hints at a storyline where Atharvaa's character, Idhaya, goes in search of her lover, played by Preity Mukhundhan, in a foreign land after facing rejection from her when at school. This is similar to Idhayam's story where Murali's character is unable to confess his love, which paved way to speculations if Idhayam Murali would be a sequel to his father's film.

In a conversation with VJ Siddhu Vlogs, Atharvaa denied all the claims of his film being a sequel and said, "The only common point between the two films is a boy struggling to confess his love to the girl. Beyond that, there will be references to the 1991 film."

Earlier, Atharvaa spoke about how his father's popular film is close to his heart. He said that he did not watch the film when it released back in 1991 because of his age at the time. "I was too young when it released; even if I watched it back then, I would not have understood it," the actor said. He added that he watched Idhayam for the first time when he completed his 12th standard examination. "That is when I watched it properly, although I had heard its songs before as well. I think it is one of my favourite films," he said.

Slated to release in theatres on July 10, Idhayam Murali also stars Natty, composer Thaman S himself, Niharika NM, Sudhakar of Parithabangal fame, Yashashree Rao, singer Jonita Gandhi, and Anju Kurian, among others.