Cinema VinesSilambarasan TR, better known as Simbu, recently took the stage at Satyabhama College in Chennai to talk about his upcoming collaboration with director Vetrimaaran on the film Ar — a project the actor insists will be a landmark for Tamil cinema. He likened the film’s ambition to that of Bollywood’s Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, saying, “Just as Dhurandhar made Bollywood proud, we are aiming to do the same for Kollywood.” Simbu added that the story will span his character’s life from youth to old age, with the actor himself appearing in six different looks, and that several key characters have already been completed.
Despite speculation that Ar would hit screens during the Pongal 2027 festival, Simbu confirmed that the makers will not release it then. He explained that while the team could accelerate production to meet the deadline, doing so would compromise the film’s quality. Calling such a rush a “major mistake,” he praised Vetrimaaran’s reputation for perfection and stated that the crew would take the necessary time to finish the film properly. A special video titled “The World of Arasan” is planned for a Diwali release to showcase already‑shot footage.
The film is set in the same universe as Vetrimaaran’s 2018 Vada Chennai, with Simbu stepping into the lead role. Vijay Sethupathi will join the franchise, and actors Andrea Jeremiah, Samuthirakani, Kishore, and Ameer are expected to reprise their roles. Ar has a complex production history: a 2013 court case involving Passion Movie Makers over an alleged advance payment, a halt in April after producer Ishari K Ganesh claimed the actor had taken an advance but not filmed the promised project, and intervention by the Tamil Film Producers Council.
Before Ar , Simbu had starred in Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life alongside Kamal Haasan and Trisha Krishnan, a film that did not perform well at the box office. He now has other projects lined up, including untitled works with Desingh Periyasamy and Ashwath Marimuthu. With a master’s degree in journalism, Simbu’s career continues to evolve as he balances acting with a growing reputation for thoughtful, ambitious storytelling.
