Vadivelu, the ace Tamil comedian, and filmmaker Shankar have amicably resolved the issues that arose during the making of Imsai Arasan 24am Pulikesi, the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) said in a statement issued on Friday.
“Shankar of S Pictures had filed a complaint against actor Vadivelu, who had acted in his production, Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi II. Based on this complaint, the TFPC invited actor Vadivelu and the representatives of S Pictures in person for a mediation, and this resulted in an amicable resolution,” the statement said in Tamil.
Vadivelu, who was last seen in the 2017 film Mersal, has been banned from working in Tamil films since 2018, after he allegedly refused to co-operate with the makers of Imsai Arasan 24am Pulikesi, the sequel to his hit 2006 historical comedy film Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi. The film’s producer Shankar and director Chimbu Deven had approached the TFPC after Vadivelu refused to cooperate with them citing creative differences. However, Vadivelu did not respond to the TFPC’s call for mediation. The council then gave him an ultimatum to either resume shooting or pay Rs 9 crore as relief. When he refused to do this as well, the organisation issued a ban on casting him in Tamil films.
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Now, three years later, Shankar and Vadivelu seem to have finally resolved their differences. The Times of India reports that Lyca Productions was instrumental in the recent initiation of talks between the parties. The banner is producing both Shankar’s Indian 2 as well as a film directed by filmmaker Suraj, which Vadivelu is reportedly interested in starring in. It is not clear if the latter is the same as the proposed spin-off of Vadivelu and Suraj’s 2006 film Thalai Nagaram, based on his famous Naai Sekar character.
According to Thanthi TV, Vadivelu has said that his return to cinema gives him the same feeling that he had when he was first looking for opportunities in films. Expressing his gratitude to Lyca Productions, he added that the long-time wish of his fans to see him return to the screen is now about to be fulfilled. Vadivelu further confirmed that he will soon resume work on Imsai Arasan 24am Pulikesi and announced that he will also star in five films under Lyca Productions.