Vijay Sethupathi confirms ‘Maharaja 2’ and offers to act for free in Hollywood remake

Vijay Sethupathi has confirmed that ‘Maharaja 2’ is in development, revealing that director Nithilan Saminathan has already narrated the sequel’s story to him.

The actor also said he would be willing to act in the Hollywood remake of the original film for free if he is offered a role.

Speaking at the audio launch of his upcoming film ‘Baththa’, Sethupathi praised Saminathan’s writing and said he was impressed by the sequel’s story.

“Nithilan is an excellent director. He has a great writing sense. He recently told me the story of ‘Maharaja 2’. It was so beautiful. Working with him was superb,” he said.

The comments confirm that work on the sequel has moved beyond early discussions, with the director having already presented the story to the lead actor.

The original ‘Maharaja’, a neo-noir thriller centred on a barber who approaches the police after his dustbin goes missing, was directed by Saminathan.

Made on an estimated budget of around Rs20 crore, the film went on to gross about Rs190 crore worldwide, becoming one of Tamil cinema’s notable commercial successes of 2024.

Sethupathi said he had faith in the film but did not expect it to achieve such widespread success.

“We never expected ‘Maharaja’ to go this far. The movie was good, but some people didn’t trust the film. I had that trust, but I didn’t expect this,” he said.

The film’s international reception also opened the door to a Hollywood adaptation.

Producer Sudhan Sundaram of Passion Studios recently told Sethupathi that an agency had acquired the Hollywood remake rights.

Sethupathi said he immediately expressed his willingness to be part of the American adaptation.

“He recently called me and told me that he has sold the Hollywood rights of the film. I told him, ‘I’ll act in one movie for free. Get me a role in that Hollywood remake. I’ll go to Hollywood!’” he said.

The actor added that he had long been interested in working in Hollywood and was particularly happy that a film he starred in was being adapted for an international audience.

Sundaram has previously said that the Hollywood adaptation is being developed with an A-list actor and could enter production next year.

Matthew McConaughey has been mentioned in reports as a possible choice for the lead role. However, Sundaram said the casting can only be confirmed by the agency handling the project.

“Maybe McConaughey is one of the stars they are talking to, but only the agency will be able to confirm,” he said.

‘Maharaja’ stars Vijay Sethupathi alongside Anurag Kashyap, Mamta Mohandas, Natty Subramaniam and Sachana Namidass.

The film was directed by Nithilan Saminathan, with music by B Ajaneesh Loknath, cinematography by Dinesh Purushothaman and editing by Philomin Raj.

Sudhan Sundaram and Jagadish Palanisamy produced it under Passion Studios, Think Studios and The Route.