Rathna Kumar, who made his feature film debut with Meyaadha Maan (2017) and backed it up with Aadai (2019), last helmed Gulu Gulu in 2022. Now, three years after his last directorial, the filmmaker is back with 29, starring Vidhu and Preethi Asrani in lead roles. The director, whose debut was backed by Karthik Subbaraj and who has worked as a co-writer on many of Lokesh Kanagaraj's films, opened up about his search for his identity after being associated with Karthik and Lokesh predominantly.
Speaking at the launch event of 29, which is backed by Karthik's Stone Bench Films and Lokesh's G Squad, Rathna said, “As a writer in the industry, people asked me mainly about Vijay Sethupathi, Karthik Subbaraj, and Lokesh Kanagaraj. That made me wonder—who am I?"
The film is titled 29, as it talks about people at the age of 29. On what inspired him to make a film about characters in that age, Rathna said, “At 29, I faced a dark moment I couldn’t share with anyone. Editor Sathish Kumar advised me to go on a Sabarimala pilgrimage—‘search within or outside’, he told me. That journey taught me that life is full of ups and downs."
Further, the filmmaker also described the film and what to expect from it. "29 is a romantic film with a unique character—like Meyaadha Maan, but different. This is the story of a boy next door, but told from an angle people usually don’t see. I wrote it wanting it to feel like Dhanush’s VIP."
Then, he revealed that he rewrote the script, as Preethi Asrani was uncomfortable pulling off certain portions. “When I narrated this story to Preethi Asrani, she said some portions made her uncomfortable, and she couldn’t perform them. I spoke to her in person and explained the context, but she stood firm. That made me realise—if a woman cannot emotionally connect to it, why insist? I rewrote the script. It changed the film entirely. I thank her sincerely for that."
On collaborating with Vidhu, Rathna added, "Vidhu is a grown-up kid. He acted in Jigarthanda Double X and Retro, but his face wasn’t fully revealed in those films. In 29, we’ve shown him stylishly.”
Sean Roldan, Madhesh Manickam and RS Sathish Kumar are the music composer, cinematographer and editor of the film, respectively. The film also stars Master Mahendran, Avinash, Shenaz Fathima, and Premkumar. Besides Tamil, the film is also set to be released in Telugu. A release date for 29 has not been announced yet.
