Maniratnam’s spy thriller with Mahesh Babu, Aishwarya Rai

Mani Ratnam, one of the most respected auteurs in Indian cinema, is well-known for making films that transcend genres. Most of his films were either inspired from real life stories or heavily borrowed from literary works. His next untitled project will be an espionage thriller, says sources. Spy thrillers are a rarity in Tamil cinema, but certainly not something new. Spy thriller as a genre gained popularity and kindled interest among the audience last year with the release of Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam.

This untitled project of Mani Ratnam will be a bi-lingual in Tamil and Telugu. The film is likely to feature Mahesh Babu, Nagarjuna, Aishwarya Rai and Sruthi Haasan, says close sources. As always, AR Rahman will compose music for the film and Ravi Varman is expected to wield the camera. Though, an official word from Mani is not expected to arrive anytime soon.