Wikipedia

SKxARM

SKxARM and SK23 are the tentative working titles of an upcoming Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by AR Murugadoss. It is produced by N. V. Prasad under Sri Lakshmi Movies. The film stars Sivakarthikeyan and Rukmini Vasanth in the lead roles, alongside Vidyut Jammwal, Biju Menon, Vikranth, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Sanjay and Sachana Namidass.

SKxARM
Announcement poster
Directed byAR Murugadoss
Written byAR Murugadoss
Produced byN. V. Prasad
Starring
CinematographySudeep Elamon
Edited byA. Sreekar Prasad
Music byAnirudh Ravichander
Production
company
Sri Lakshmi Movies
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil
Budgetest. ₹200 crore[1]

The film was officially announced in September 2023 under its working titles, as it is Sivakarthikeyan and Murugadoss's first collaboration and the former's 23rd film as a lead actor. Principal photography commenced in February 2024. It was shot in locations including Chennai and Pondicherry. The film has music composed by Anirudh Ravichander, cinematography handled by Sudeep Elamon and editing by A. Sreekar Prasad.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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AR Murugadoss was initially signed to direct Vijay, in his fourth collaboration with the actor after Thuppakki (2012), Kaththi (2014) and Sarkar (2018). However, he was ousted and subsequently replaced.

In March 2020, director AR Murugadoss, who had previously collaborated with Vijay for three films, was reported to join hands with the latter for the fourth time. Sun Pictures, headed by Kalanithi Maran, would reportedly fund the venture, and it would mark the reunion of Murugadoss and Vijay after Thuppakki (2012), Kaththi (2014) and Sarkar (2018).[4] Tentatively titled Thalapathy 65, Thaman S was reportedly approached to score the music, in his first collaboration with Vijay and Murugadoss.[5][6] On 24 August, Murugadoss confirmed the reunion with the actor, and dismissed the rumours of the film being a sequel to one of their previous projects.[7] In October, however, it was reported that the actor had opted out from the venture, due to a conflict between the director and the production house, about cutting Murugadoss' salary due to the failure of his previous film, Darbar (2020).[8]

On 10 December, the production house announced that director Nelson Dilipkumar had replaced Murugadoss. The film became Beast (2022).[9][10] The same month, Murugadoss reportedly met Sivakarthikeyan and discussed a story. The story was speculated to be the same as the director narrated to Vijay.[11][12] Production was reported to begin in 2023 as Sivakarthikeyan had completed most of his prior commitments.[13] During Murugadoss' production venture August 16 1947's audio launch in 2023, Sivakarthikeyan hinted about his collaboration with the director.[14] That March, Murugadoss confirmed the project.[15] The project is funded by N. V. Prasad under Sri Lakshmi Movies. Known for mainly producing films in Telugu cinema, it marks their Tamil debut.[16] The company made a public announcement on 25 September, coinciding with the occasion of Murugadoss' birthday, confirming the project, known by the working titles SKxARM and SK23.

Pre-production

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The project marks Sivakarthikeyan and Murugadoss's second collaboration, after Sivakarthikeyan entered Tamil cinema in 2012 with Marina, as Murugadoss previously worked as producer and co-writer in the Sivakarthikeyan-starrer Maan Karate (2014). But before the actor entered the industry, he worked as a host for Murugadoss' directorial film 7 Aum Arivu at its audio launch event in 2011 and the director's production venture Engaeyum Eppothum at a similar event in the same year.[17] A muhurat puja was held at a studio in Chennai on 6 February 2024 with the presence of the film's cast and crew.[18][19]

In early-February 2023, Sudeep Elamon was announced as the cinematographer. As he predominantly works in the Malayalam cinema, it marks his first film in Tamil cinema. Anirudh Ravichander would score the music, in his third consecutive film with Murugadoss after Kaththi (2014) and Darbar. Murugadoss further retained editor A. Sreekar Prasad, stunt choreographer Dhilip Subbarayan and art director Arun Venjaramoodu.[20] Sivakarthikeyan went through a workshop with acting coach Rajesh Balachandiran to change his body-language.[21][22] Reportedly made with a budget of ₹150–200 crore, Sivakarthikeyan and Murugadoss's remuneration are reported to be ₹40 crore.

Casting

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Sivakarthikeyan would sport a suave and thick beard, unlike any of the characters he had previously done before.[23] Despite earlier reports of Mrunal Thakur being cast,[24] Rukmini Vasanth was confirmed as the female lead in her first pairing with the actor as well as in her second Tamil film after Ace.[25] In November 2023, Vidyut Jammwal was reported to play an important role in the film.[26] In late April 2024, Malayalam actor Biju Menon revealed he would play an important role, marking his return to Tamil cinema after Porkkalam (2010).[27] His inclusion was also confirmed by the production house on 11 August.[28] On 9 June, Jammwal was confirmed as the film's main antagonist by the production house; reuniting with Murugadoss after playing the antagonist in Thuppakki.[29] Vikranth was announced on 15 June being part of the cast,[30] while Shabeer Kallarakkal was announced the following day.[31]

Filming

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Principal photography began with the first schedule on 14 February 2024 at the Vellore Institute of Technology College.[32][33] The second schedule commenced on 13 March in Pondicherry. On 24 March, Murugadoss posted on Instagram that a sequence was filmed at the Thirumayilai railway station, also penning an emotional note as he also shot a portion for Ramanaa (2002), which starred late actor-politician Vijayakanth, there.[34][35] In early April, a portion featuring Sivakarthikeyan and Jammwal was reportedly shot, with the team also shooting a song sequence at a busy place in Chennai.[36] An action sequence was filmed on 6 June.[37] By late June, filming was paused to allow Murugadoss' commitments to Sikandar.[38] As of September, only 20 days of filming was left.[39]

Music

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The music and background score is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, in his third collaboration with Murugadoss after Kaththi (2014) and Darbar (2020); eighth with Sivakarthikeyan.[15][a]

Notes

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  1. ^ Anirudh Ravichander and Sivakarthikeyan previously collaborated for Ethir Neechal (2013), Maan Karate (2014), Kaaki Sattai (2014), Remo (2016), Velaikkaran (2017), Doctor (2021) and Don (2022).

References

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  1. ^ Muniandy, Agilandeswary (18 June 2024). "Vikranth Joins AR Murugadoss film featuring Sivakarthikeyan". Varnam MY. Archived from the original on 29 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  2. ^ Movie Tamil [@MovieTamil4] (15 May 2024). "#Sanjay Recent Interview 💥 - Sanjay plays #Sivakarthikeyan's younger brother in #SK23.✔️- Sanjay had earlier played an important role in #Aranmanai4.🤟Wating 🛡️" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 May 2024 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Movie Tamil [@MovieTamil4] (29 June 2024). ""#Sachana", who played the daughter of the #VijaySethupathi in #Maharaja, is now playing the sister of SK in the #Sivakarthikeyan starrer #SK23" (Tweet). Retrieved 29 June 2024 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ "'Thalapathy 65': Vijay and AR Murugadoss to team up for the fourth time; is it 'Thuppakki 2'?". The Times of India. 19 March 2020. Archived from the original on 10 April 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  5. ^ "'Thalapathy 65': Music director S Thaman to compose music for Vijay's film". The Times of India. 5 May 2020. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Thalapathy 65: S Thaman to compose for Vijay in Murugadoss's film?". India Today. 5 May 2020. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  7. ^ "AR Murugadoss opens up about 'Thalapathy 65' script". The Times of India. 24 August 2020. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Did AR Murugadoss refuse to take a pay cut for 'Thalapathy 65'?". The Times of India. 29 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Is Nelson reviving his dropped film story for 'Thalapathy 65'?". The Times of India. 16 December 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  10. ^ "'Thalapathy 65': Vijay teams up with Sun Pictures and director Nelson". The Hindu. 10 December 2020. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  11. ^ "AR Murugadoss meets Sivakarthikeyan; duo in talks for a new project?". The Times of India. 31 December 2020. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Sivakarthikeyan's next to be produced by Rajinikanth's producer?". The Times of India. 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Sivakarthikeyan to team up with AR Murugadoss?". The Times of India. 23 January 2023. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Sivakarthikeyan hints about his collaboration with AR Murugadoss". The Times of India. 28 March 2023. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Sivakarthikeyan in AR Murugadoss's action entertainer". The Times of India. 29 March 2023. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  16. ^ "Sivakarthikeyan's 'SK23' with AR Murugadoss begins with an pooja". The Times of India. 14 February 2024. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  17. ^ "It's official: Sivakarthikeyan next 'SK23' with AR Murugadoss". The Times of India. 25 September 2023. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  18. ^ "SK 23 update – Sivakarthikeyan, AR Murugadoss' film goes on floors, Anirudh Ravichander roped in". OTTPlay. 14 February 2024. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  19. ^ Laxmi Kanth [@iammoviebuff007] (14 February 2024). "#SK23 – Pooja was done on Feb 6.. And Today Regular Shoot commenced with simple prayers..⭐ • First schedule to take place in Chennai and #Sivakarthikeyan portions are being filmed..🤙 • After Completing this shoot, #SK21 pending portions shoot will resume..✌️ Seems like no major look change for SK in ARM film..👍 • #ARMurugadoss will complete this project and work on the #SalmanKhan project..🤙" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 February 2024 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ Murugadoss, A.R. [@ARMurugadoss] (15 February 2024). "Very happy to have these amazing and talented people on board. Together, something special on your way🎉" (Tweet). Retrieved 15 February 2024 – via Twitter.
  21. ^ "'SK 23' script has some special elements; Sivakarthikeyan's acting coach Rajesh reveals". The Times of India. 6 March 2024. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  22. ^ Sundar, Anusha (6 March 2024). "SK 23 will be very different from Amaran, reveals Sivakarthikeyan's acting coach Rajesh Balachandiran". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  23. ^ "SK 23: Sivakarthikeyan's new thick beard look revealed in leaked VIDEO from AR Murugadoss directorial's sets". Pinkvilla. 7 June 2024. Archived from the original on 9 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  24. ^ "Confirmed: Mrunal is female lead in AR Murugadoss' film with Sivakarthikeyan". The Times of India. 5 August 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  25. ^ "Rukmini Vasanth pairs up with Sivakarthikeyan in SK23". The Times of India. 15 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  26. ^ "Mohanlal and Vidyut Jamwal in Sivakarthikeyan's film with AR Murugadoss?". The Times of India. 16 November 2023. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Biju Menon to return to K'wood after 14 yrs with ARM & SK's film". The Times of India. 25 April 2024. Archived from the original on 25 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  28. ^ "Biju Menon joins the cast of Sivakarthikeyan-AR Murugadoss film". The Indian Express. 11 August 2024. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  29. ^ "Vidyut Jammwal on board Sivakarthikeyan-AR Murugadoss film". Cinema Express. 9 June 2024. Archived from the original on 9 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  30. ^ "SK 23's cast expands with actor Vikranth on board". Cinema Express. 15 June 2024. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  31. ^ "Vikranth, Shabeer Kallarakkal join Sivakarthikeyan's film with AR Murugadoss". The South First. 16 June 2024. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  32. ^ "SK23 : మరో ప్రయోగాత్మక చిత్రం చేయనున్న శివకార్తికేయన్‌.. డైరెక్టర్ ఎవరంటే..?". NTV (in Telugu). 2 February 2024. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  33. ^ "AR Murugadoss film shooting in college, Students surrounded Sivakarthikeyan". indiaherald.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  34. ^ "AR Murugadoss pens a heartfelt note as he visits sets of 'Ramana' once again for 'SKxARM'". The Times of India. 24 March 2024. Archived from the original on 5 April 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  35. ^ Srivastava, Aditi (24 March 2024). "AR Murugadoss goes back in time! Revisits Ramana after 23 years". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  36. ^ "AR Murugadoss films a song sequence with Sivakarthikeyan for 'SK 23' at a busy place in Chennai". The Times of India. 5 April 2024. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  37. ^ "Sivakarthikeyan filming action sequences for 'SK23'". The Times of India. 6 June 2024. Archived from the original on 9 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  38. ^ "Sivakarthikeyan's first shot from 'SK 23' goes viral; editing under process". The Times of India. 20 June 2024. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  39. ^ "SKxARM on the verge of completion". DT Next. 26 September 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
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