Preethi Asrani, who became famous after her debut performance in Ayothi, recently starred as the female lead alongside Vidhu in 29, helmed by Rathna Kumar. The film, which hit theatres on May 8, recently had its OTT premiere on Netflix on June 5 and has been receiving a lot of positive reviews.
Following the positive comments for the film, director Rathna Kumar shared an anecdote on how Preethi Asrani came onboard the film on Sunday. In a long note, along with photos of her character's look text, he explained that he reworked a few scenes of intimacy on his insistence and included a dance segment in that scene to make it come from her perspective.
On Monday, Preethi responded to the X post with gratitude. She wrote, "B. Vijayalakshmi. Thank you for finding me. Rathna Kumar sir, thank you for trusting me with Viji. Thank you for creating a space where I could question, discuss, disagree, and still feel heard. That’s a gift for an actor. For believing in me, for being patient through all those conversations, and for reshaping that scene into something truly beautiful. Some journeys stay with you forever, and this is surely one of them. Viji will always hold a special place in my heart. Grateful for everything. Here’s to many more stories and magic on screen."
Rathna Kumar also unveiled a deleted prologue to the film on Sunday which features Preethi Asrani's Viji and Vidhu's Sathya tying the knot. The film's conclusion comes as an open ending, and the director only shared the prologue after a netizen asked if there were alternate endings to the film.
In 29, Vidhu stars as Sathya, who, at the age of 29, finds himself adrift, struggling with questions about his identity, purpose, and where he truly belongs. His life takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Viji (Preethi), whose presence brings a new perspective to his uncertain world. As Sathya becomes increasingly consumed by self-doubt and existential turmoil, Viji emerges as a guiding force who may help him confront the questions that have long haunted him.
29 also stars Mahendran, Shehnaz Fathima, Avinash and Prem in key roles. The film is produced by Kaarthikeyan S of Stone Bench Creations, the label that also involves filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj and director Lokesh Kanagaraj under the G Squad banner. On the technical front, the film features music composed by Sean Roldan, cinematography by Madhesh Manickam, and editing by R S Sathish Kumar.