Is Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil doing all versions of Pawan Kumar’s Dvitva?

A little while ago, Hombale Films, the production house behind biggies like Raajakumara, Yuvararathnaa, KGF: Chapter 1 and 2, and the upcoming Salaar, among many others, took to social media to wish Malayalam star Fahadh Faasil on his birthday. “To the person who mines distinctive characters from his surroundings n make us fall in awe with his gripping acting. An entertainer par excellence. To the King of method acting, a very Happy B’day! It’s time to vanish into a new character!!!” read the post.

The last bit of the post – It’s time to vanish into a new character – has driven up speculation that Hombale Films could be backing one of Fahadh’s films next. The production house, which began with Kannada films has already made inroads into Telugu with Prashant Neel’s Salaar, Tamil with a project directed by Soorarai Pottru maker Sudha Kongara, and Malayalam with Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Tyson. So, it would not be surprising if the banner looks at increasing its foot print in any of these industries.

Netizens believe that Fahadh could be their go-to man to headline director Pawan Kumar’s Dvitva, which they had announced amid much fanfare with the late Kannada Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar. In earlier interviews, Pawan had said that they were looking at getting Fahadh for the Malayalam and Tamil versions of the film with Puneeth leading the Kannada and Telugu versions. 

“When we were discussing Dvitva, we had an early conversation about doing it in all four south Indian languages, with Puneeth in the lead role in Kannada and Telugu and Fahad in Malayalam and Tamil. When I proposed this plan to Puneeth at a meeting that included several others from the production house too, he jumped at it, proclaiming his admiration for Fahadh. In fact, he also said that while shooting we should get Fahadh to play the character first and that Puneeth would try and emulate him. Kannada industry’s Power Star does not need to say something like that. Puneeth did not have any airs about being a commercially more viable actor, or performer. It just showed his deep appreciation for another actor. I don’t think we will ever find that kind of honesty again,” Pawan was quoted as saying.

Considering Fahadh’s fan following across the country, and globe, for that matter, industry insiders believe that Hombale Films could just proceed with him in the lead for all four versions.

While several fans were thrilled at a possible collaboration between Hombale Films and Fahadh, a section says that the Kannada version ought to have local talent in the lead, as a tribute to the late Puneeth Rajkumar. During a recent interaction for his film Gaalipata 2, in which Pawan is acting, he was asked about Dvitva and had said that it was on hold until they find a suitable actor for the lead role. Pawan has always been clear that he would make Dvitva at some point as a tribute to Puneeth, because the late actor was keen on good cinema being made. And if Hombale’s birthday post is any indication, it looks like they have their leading man in place.