The makers of Vijayam, which marks the reunion of Nivin Pauly and Premam filmmaker Alphonse Puthren, have dismissed reports and speculation suggesting that the project has been shelved. The team has clarified that the upcoming film is currently in pre-production and that shooting will commence once the groundwork is completed.
Taking to social media, Vijayam's executive producer and project designer Kuttu Sivanandan addressed the rumours, urging audiences to wait for official updates from the team. "Not sure who is creating or spreading these kinds of rumours. To clarify, the movie is currently in the pre-production stage. Once the pre-production work is completed, we will officially begin the shoot. There is absolutely no truth to these rumours. Please wait for the official updates from our side."
Alphonse subsequently shared Kuttu's post on his Instagram Stories, adding, "Pre-production going on slowly and smoothly." Announced in June this year, Vijayam marks Nivin's 50th film and reunites the actor with Alphonse after their successful collaborations Neram and Premam. The new project was unveiled with a quirky teaser featuring Alphonse stranded on a road before Nivin makes a stylish entry as a mud-bike racer.
Set against the backdrop of the racing world, Vijayam is written, directed and edited by Alphonse Puthren. The film is produced by Pauly Jr Pictures in association with Tonson Tony and Sunil Ramady under the banner of Cineholics. Shinoz is the cinematographer, while the music is composed by Kerala-born musician Steve Kottoor, who previously worked on the music production of the two Dhurandhar films and Aryan Khan's Netflix series The Bads of Bollywood***. Further details regarding the supporting cast and shooting schedule are expected to be announced by the makers.
Vijayam marks Alphonse's return to direction following the 2023 film Gold, which starred Prithviraj Sukumaran and Nayanthara. Following the film's underwhelming reception and the backlash surrounding it, Alphonse had announced a break from Malayalam cinema and subsequently worked towards making a Tamil film. That project, titled Gift, was reportedly set to star dance choreographer-turned-actor Sandy, with veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja attached as the music director. However, the project was eventually dropped.
Meanwhile, Nivin is currently basking in the gigantic success of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit and is busy shooting for his next film, which stars Rukmini Vasanth as the female lead.