Maharaja
The first look of Vijay Sethupathi's next movie, 'Maharaja', which the actor unveiled on Sept. 11, 2023. Image Credit: Twitter/VijaySethupathy

Indian actor Vijay Sethupathi, who is basking in the success of 'Jawan', in which he played the antagonist, has dropped the first look of his next movie.

And going by first impressions, we can say that this is chalk to Kaali's  (the name of his role in the Shah Rukh Khan blockbuster) cheese.

The actor tweeted the first look of his 50th movie that set off a tweet storm. It shows a blood-soaked Sethupathi, presumably inside a police station, with a machete in his hands. It is safe to assume that this is an action entertainer, but prepare to be surprised, considering that Sethupathi has a knack for picking scripts that stay away from the beaten path.

'Maharaja' also stars Bollywood ace director Anurag Kashyap, Malayalam actress Mamta Mohandas and Natarajan 'Natty' Subramaniam , who played a key role in Mari Selvaraj's acclaimed movie 'Karnan'. The movie is directed by Nithilan Swaminathan, who previously made the critically acclaimed Tamil thriller 'Kurangu Bommai' (monkey doll). Ajaneesh Loknath, who made waves with his melodious and catchy soundtrack for the Kannada sleeper hit 'Kantara', is the composer for 'Maharaja'. Incidentally, Swaminathan and Loknath came together for 'Kurangu Bommai'.

Sethupathi isn't new to experimentation, and the roles he has played over more than a decade stand testimony to the fact. From the 2012 thriller 'Pizza', in which he plays a pizza delivery personnel; to the bumbling gangster in the black comedy 'Soodhu Kavvum'; or as the truthful job aspirant entwined with a fake visa agency in 'Andavan Kattalai'; or the dutiful and methodical police inspector in 'Sethupathi'; the actor has never shied away from exploring various shades of characters and genres that have enthralled audiences.

He later turned the baddie in Rajinikanth's 'Petta', Vijay's 'Master', Kamal Haasan's 'Vikram' and in the Telugu flick 'Uppena' — all of which were hits.

'Jawan', headlined by Shah Rukh Khan and Nayanthara, meanwhile, has turned out to be Bollywood's most successful movie, dethroning the records set by Khan's 'Pathaan' earlier this year. Sethupathi's role as an illegal arms dealer in the movie, replete with his wry humour, has won him wide appreciation.