Arumugakumar: Words can't describe how much Vijay Sethupathi has done for me

With just a few days to go for the release of Vijay Sethupathi's upcoming film Ace, director Arumugakumar, in a press meet revealed that their personal connection goes far beyond professional collaborations and thanked the star for all that he had done for him.

"I would like to begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to Vijay Sethupathi. He was the driving force behind the creation of this film—the auspicious starting point. His unwavering support and dedication throughout the journey have been immeasurable. Words truly fall short when I try to describe how much he has done for this project and for me personally," he said.

Talking about Rukmini Vasanth's Tamil debut and her casting in the film, he said that while the Sapta Sagaradaache Ello actor was initially hesitant to act in the film given the language barrier, she developed confidence and aced her performance. "She's a naturally intelligent actor who quickly grasped the film’s nuances, and her evolution throughout the shoot has been inspiring," he added.

He was also all in praise of Yogi Babu and shared that he contributed over 50 days to this film, his longest yet. "His performance is nothing short of phenomenal. The chemistry between Vijay Sethupathi and Yogi Babu is one of the highlights of the film—it plays out beautifully on screen," he noted.

Aarumugakumar also mentioned that Babloo Prithveeraj's character will be a surprise for audiences. "Once they see it, they'll agree that the character feels like it was tailor-made for him," he said and thanked the extended cast and crew for their contribution to the film.

Ace also stars Divya Pillai, BS Avinash, Muthu Kumar, Raj Kumar, Denes Kumar, Alvin Martin, Priscilla Nair, Jasper Supayah, Kaarthick Jay, Nagulan, and Zahrinaris. 

Ace is Arumugakumar's sophomore after his debut with Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren (2018). The filmmaker is also producing the film under his banner, 7CS Entertainment. Touted to be an out-and-out commercial entertainer, the film, which has been shot extensively in Malaysia, is expected to have a blend of romance, action, comedy, and sentiment in its story.

On the technical team, Ace has music composed by Justin Prabhakaran, cinematography by Karan Bahadur Rawat, and editing by Fenny Oliver. Ace is gearing up to hit theatres on May 23.