AR Murugadoss opens up on ‘Madharaasi’, collaborations with Vijay, Ajith & more

In recent promotional interviews, acclaimed director AR Murugadoss opened up about his upcoming film Madharaasi, starring Sivakarthikeyan in the lead role. Murugadoss revealed that Sivakarthikeyan plays a character named Ragu, whose nature is different from that of a typical person. “His character will be different from normal people,” the director noted, suggesting that the film will offer audiences something fresh and unexpected. He described Madharaasi as a “good timepass entertainer with a warning for people,” indicating that while the film will be engaging, it will also carry a message.

The film has a runtime of approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, which Murugadoss defended by pointing to changing audience habits. “Nowadays, audiences are even watching whole web series in one go, if we present them interestingly. Madharaasi was presented interestingly, so this runtime will be apt for the film,” he explained.

Beyond Madharaasi, AR Murugadoss also shared insights into his past and potential future projects. He mentioned that he had met actor Vijay a few months ago and expressed interest in doing Thuppakki 2. “This happened before his political entry; anyway, now his concentration will be in politics. Only Vijay sir can do Thuppakki Part-2,” said the director. Reflecting on the original Thuppakki, Murugadoss recalled how the film came very close to his original vision. “The output was really close to whatever I imagined. A few things even surprised me – one was Vijay sir’s performance and the other was Harris Jayaraj’s music. Both were like a lottery for me.”

He also spoke about a project that didn’t take off during the time of Beast. Murugadoss had narrated a script to Vijay during the COVID period, and although Vijay liked the script, the project didn’t materialize due to uncertain business conditions. “He decided to go with a young director, but I’m still in good relationship with Vijay sir,” Murugadoss said, indicating that there is still mutual respect between the two.

In an interesting anecdote, Murugadoss discussed the evolution of the film Ghajini, which was initially planned under the title Mirattal with Ajith Kumar in the lead. “Ajith sir told me he would do a six-pack for Mirattal, but he couldn’t do the film because of other commitments like Naan Kadavul. I still have that two days of footage of him as Sanjay Ramasamy,” he revealed. He credited Ajith for first suggesting the six-pack concept, which later played a pivotal role in the Ghajini versions with Suriya and Aamir Khan.

Murugadoss also recalled a recent personal moment with Ajith Kumar, sharing that the photo he took with the actor was during Ajith’s birthday and car racing success party. “He was my first hero who gave me a chance in Dheena. That’s where I got to work with Aamir Khan sir. My fastest growth is because of him,” Murugadoss acknowledged, paying tribute to the actor who helped launch his successful directorial career.

About his future projects, “I’m eager to work on a small-scale film with fresh young talents. I have a horror script, a divine-themed story, and even an adults-only comedy which is bold yet tasteful, also without any vulgarity.”, concluded the filmmaker.

Through this wide-ranging conversation, AR Murugadoss not only built anticipation for Madharaasi but also offered a glimpse into his deep connections within the Tamil and Hindi film industries, reflecting on the past while keeping an eye on the future.

AR Murugadoss gears for his Madharaasi release on September 5th worldwide and the audio/trailer launch event of this biggie is scheduled to happen this Sunday, August 24th.