Ajith Kumar’s movie ‘Valimai’ to release in August?

'Valimai' might face competition from the Allu Arjun-starrer 'Pushpa'

Actor Ajith Kumar’s upcoming movie Valimai, which could not hit the screens last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is likely to release in Tamil and Hindi in August 2021. If this is indeed the case, the film will face competition from actor ‘Stylish Star’ Allu Arjun’s upcoming pan-India movie Pushpa. The Akshay Kumar-starrer Bell Bottom too is expected to arrive in theatres around the same time, which could add to the worries of the Kollywood biggie, especially in the Hindi belt. One is likely to get clarity on this developing situation in the coming months.

Valimai, directed by H Vinoth, is a thriller that features ‘Thala’ in a new avatar. The film has been shot in exotic locations, which might help it click with the ‘Gen Y’ crowd. The buzz is that that the mass movie will feature several action scenes and chase sequences. It is likely to star Huma Qureshi or Yami Gautam as the leading ladies.

A few websites had reported that Dhadak actor Janhvi Kapoor, who is the late Sridevi’s daughter, was being considered for a key role in the biggie. This, however, is yet to be confirmed.

Ajith and Vinoth had previously teamed up for the ‘urban film’ Nerkonda Paarvai, a remake of the Bollywood hit Pink. The courtroom-drama emerged as a success despite not being a typical Thala-starrer. It revolved around the importance of consent while highlighting that ‘no means no’. It had a stellar cast that included Shraddha Srinath, Rangaraj Pandey and Bollywood star Vidya Balan. It remains to be seen whether they are able to deliver the goods with Valimai.

Pushpa, on the other hand, is a hard-hitting drama that revolves around the smuggling mafia. It features Allu Arjun in a new avatar and has the potential to be a gamechanger for the Julayi hero. The film stars Rashmika Mandanna as the leading lady and will mark her first collaboration with ‘Bunny’.