H Vinoth: Tovino Thomas was the first choice for the villain role in Valimai

Ajith's Valimai is gearing up for Pongal release and the fans are eagerly waiting for new updates. Directed by H Vinoth, the film is billed as an action-packed mass entertainer.

Telugu actor Kartikeya Gummakonda plays the villain role in the film. However, in a recent interview with Cinema Vikatan, director H Vinoth revealed that Kartikeya was not the first choice to play the baddie.

When he first briefed Ajith about the villain's character and looks, the actor felt that either Arjun Das or Prasanna would fit in the bill. But Vinoth felt otherwise and he explained why he thought they won't suit the antagonist's role. Vinoth wanted to cast Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas for the role but he was unavailable due to date issues. Later, Kartikeya was roped in after the director was impressed by his performance in RX 100.

Valimai marks the second collaboration of the director with Ajith. The two worked together in Nerkonda Paarvai, the Tamil remake of Hindi hit Pink.

Also starring Huma Quereshi, Pugazh, Yogi Babu, and Achyuth Kumar, the film has cinematography by Nirav Shah and music by Yuvan Shankar Raja.