The rebirth of a promising action hero

Actor-politician Vijayakant’s son Shanmuga Pandian is all set to make a comeback with Padai Thalaivan after his last outing Madurai Veeran (2018). The first look poster and a glimpse from the film were shared by Vijayakant on his 71st birthday. The poster featured an intense Shanmuga Pandian and an elephant in the foreground. 

Helmed by U Anbu, who has previously made films like Walter (2020) and Rekhla (2022), the film is billed to be an out-and-out action-thriller made in the backdrop of forests. In an exclusive conversation with Cinema Express, Anbu says the story will focus on the emotions between the hero and an elephant. “Shanmuga Pandian lives at the base of a mountain and is deeply attached to an elephant that he has grown up with. To what extreme will that elephant go for his human, and how far he will go to save the jumbo forms the crux of the story.”

In fact, it was a real-life incident from Odisha that inspired Anbu, who always harboured dreams of making an elephant-based movie, to make Padai Thalaivan. “My first two films were crime thrillers, and I was very clear that my next would be an emotional drama. Padai Thalaivan is all about the hero and the elephant," says Anbu. 

Delving into his experiences of working with Shanmuga Pandian, Anbu says, “It was a terrific experience to work with him. Padai Thalaivan will be a turning point for him. Post the release, the Tamil film industry will look at him as a talented and promising action hero.” 

The first schedule of Padai Thalaivan, shot extensively in Kerala, has been wrapped up and the second schedule is set to start on September 8. The cast and crew will travel to Bangkok and Odisha to complete the rest of the shoot. The makers hope to release the film by the end of 2023. 

Apart from Shanmuga Pandian, the cast also features director and actor Kasthuri Raja, Yamini Chander, the granddaughter of veteran filmmaker AC Tirulokchander,  Munishkanth, and Rishi Rithvik. With Ilaiyaraaja set to compose the music for Padai Thalaivan, the hype around the film only gets bigger, and the director reveals that a popular actor from Hindi cinema will play the antagonist. 

The screenplay and dialogues for Padai Thalaivan have been penned by director Parthiban Desingu. The technical team consists of cinematographer SR Sathish Kumar, who has previously cranked the camera for Peraanmai (2009), Meagamann (2014) and Boologam (2015), editor S Elayaraja, and stunt choreography by Mahesh Mathew.