AK 61: Manju Warrier to join the shoot of Ajith-Vinoth film in Pune, details inside

It is known that Ajith Kumar has teamed up with H Vinoth for the third time in a row, on AK 61. While the film was previously shot in Hyderabad, the crew is now preparing to relocate to Pune, where Malayalam actor Manju Warrier is expected to join them. AK 61 will be her second outing in Tamil after her debut with the Dhanush-Vetrimaaran film, Asuran.

The next schedule of AK 61 will likely begin in Pune, this week, with the team hoping to finish filming by the end of July or early August. 

Touted to be a heist thriller with loads of action and adventure, AK 61 marks Ajith's reunion with H Vinoth following the success of Nerkonda Paarvai and Valimai. Boney Kapoor, who produced the actor-director duo's previous two films, is bankrolling this one as well. 

While Nirav Shah is the cinematographer, it is speculated that Ghibran will be composing the music. A source tells OTTplay, "Manju has a strong role in the film. After seeing her performance in Asuran, the team approached her to star opposite Ajith.”

Notably, Boney Kapoor acquired the Tamil remake rights of Manju's Malayalam film Prathi Poovankozhi recently. The production company asked for Manju Warrier's call sheet and believed that she would fit the bill for the character. 

And, if speculations are to be believed, AK 61 will hit the screens this Deepavali. Boney Kapoor revealed that the team has finished 35 days of filming and that the project would be done by August. He, further, said they are aiming for a Deepavali release, and that if all goes as planned, the film should be released on October 24. 

Ajith will be playing the hero and villain of the film according to H Vinoth's interview with several media houses. For now, we know Samuthirakani has been brought on board, to play an important role in AK 61.

Meanwhile, Ajith will team up with Vignesh Shivan for his 62nd film which is speculated to be a rural drama. Bankrolled by Subaskaran of Lyca Productions, the shooting of the film will commence by the end of the year and will release in mid-2023.