Months after director Ponram officially confirmed Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam 2, it has now come to light that actor Rio will be headlining it. According to reports, Rio is set to take over the baton from Sivakarthikeyan who pulled off one of his best roles in Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam in 2013.
Speculations are also rife about Rio producing the upcoming film, which is yet to be confirmed. So, a major change of plans is taking place for director Ponram who earlier revealed to be making this film with Sivakarthikeyan himself. In an interview last year, Ponram made it clear that the second part will not simply pick up where the original left off. He further revealed that the project is already in progress and that the script is complete. He explained that the story has been reworked to suit Sivakarthikeyan’s current stature in the industry. Hence, it is not known if the story has been reworked again to suit Rio.
For the unversed, Ponram and Sivakarthikeyan have collaborated on popular films such as Rajini Murugan and Seemaraja, besides Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam.
Sivakarthikeyan's Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam was a massive hit when it released 13 years ago. Also starring Soori and Sri Divya (in her Tamil debut), with Sathyaraj in prominent roles, it revolved around Sivakarthikeyan's characteer who falls in love with the daughter of the village head, who opposes love marriages. The film, which continues to remain popular among audiences of Tamil cinema, positioned the actor as a prominent star in the industry. If and when Rio takes on the sequel, it will mark a major milestone in his career.
Ponram last made Kombuseevi, starring Sarath Kumar and Shanmuga Pandian. Meanwhile Rio recently turned producer with his production house River Route Studios. His first production has been titled Brown Mani, introducing the lead actor Ram Nishanth and director Kathiravan Sampath. The second film, written and directed by K Sivamuneswaran, will be headlined by Varun KG, who had previously worked as an editor on Rio Raj's films Joe (2023) and Aan Paavam Pollathathu (2025). He is also starring as the lead in the upcoming film Ram in Leela which recently wrapped shooting.