New Delhi: Vidya Balan and R Balki are reuniting after 17 years, this time in Tamil. The actor has started work on an untitled film with Balki, which will also be his first Tamil directorial.
Balan announced the film on Instagram Tuesday with a picture of herself holding the script, wearing glasses, with her hair in a long braid.
“New beginnings. New Tamil film with R Balki,” she posted on Instagram.
For now, that is pretty much all we know. There is no title yet, and Balan has not revealed the plot or the rest of the cast.
Balan and Balki last worked together on Paa in 2009. In the film, Amitabh Bachchan played Auro, a 12-year-old with progeria, while Balan played his mother. Abhishek Bachchan played Auro’s father.
The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. Amitabh Bachchan also won the National Film Award for Best Actor.
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‘Moondram Pirai inspired me’
This will be Balki’s first time directing a Tamil film. The Tamilian filmmaker, who grew up in Bengaluru, said the 1982 Tamil film Moondram Pirai, starring Kamal Haasan and Sridevi, inspired him to become a filmmaker.
Balki made his directorial debut with the Bachchan-Tabu starrer Cheeni Kum in 2007. His other films include Shamitabh, Ki & Ka, Pad Man, Chup: Revenge of the Artist and Ghoomer.
This is not Balan’s first Tamil film. She made her Tamil debut with H Vinoth’s Nerkonda Paarvai in 2019, appearing opposite Ajith Kumar.
She will also be seen with Rajinikanth in Jailer 2. Balan plays Kantha in the Nelson Dilipkumar film, which is scheduled to release on 15 October.
Balan also has an untitled Hindi comedy with Akshay Kumar and Raashii Khanna, directed by Anees Bazmee. The team has already completed the shooting schedule in Kerala.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)