Director Shankar hasn’t been in the best phase of his career. The man who once delivered back-to-back big-event films is coming off two high-profile disappointments, Indian 2 with Kamal Haasan and Game Changer with Ram Charan. Both arrived with huge expectations, both sank quickly. He’s now spending more time on scripts, including Velpaari, while also figuring out what to do with the unfinished Indian 3.
In the middle of all this, the attention has quietly shifted to his family. His daughter Aditi Shankar has been working steadily in Tamil and Telugu films. Now, it’s his son Arjith’s turn to step into the spotlight, but as a lead actor. This has been in the works for a while. Arjith has trained in acting for years, worked behind the camera with A.R. Murugadoss on Madharasi, and even joined the crew of Game Changer. He also popped up for a short dance number in Indian 2.
The debut film is set. It’ll be directed by Siva, one of Atlee’s former assistants, and produced by Passion Studios. The genre? A youthful entertainer with some romance and action mixed in. Shooting is expected to start after Dasara, with a release window likely in late 2026. The makers are still finalizing the female lead, Preity Mukundhan is in talks, but a newcomer might get the role. On the music front, Jen Martin and Sai Abhyankkar are being considered, and A.R. Rahman’s name is also floating around, though his involvement depends on budget negotiations.
Tamil industry has been more open to star kids launching with mid-range, genre-friendly scripts rather than massive, pressure-heavy debuts. If this clicks, Arjith could carve his own space without being weighed down by his father’s track record.
For Shankar, this year might be less about his own films and more about watching whether his son can pull off a clean launch in a crowded market. An official announcement with full details is expected soon, but the industry will be watching from day one, because if Arjith lands well, it’ll be one of the few wins with a Shankar name attached in recent memory.
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