While his films may emphasise the quality of letting go of things, it appears that Gautham Menon is not feeling inclined to do the same, when it comes to his films. Even as question marks remain over whether or not he will be able to release his long-pending project, Enai Noki Paayum Thota (ENPT), starring Dhanush (it already missed a release date in September and has been in the works since 2016), it has emerged that Menon is currently busy filming his next titled Joshua: Adhyayam Ondru with actor Varun of Puppy fame in the lead role.
If that title sounds familiar, that is because audiences have heard part of it before: in connection with none other than Vijay!
In 2012, Gautham Menon was supposed to have shot the film Yohan: Adhyayam Ondru with actor Vijay, whose upcoming film Bigil releases on Deepavali weekend. A promotional photoshoot was conducted and the pictures can still found be online. However, the film never took off, which, Menon revealed years later, was because he did not present Vijay with a bound script. A-listers in Tamil cinema prefer working a film that has a complete script but Menon is infamous for going to shoot with only about three-fourths of the script written, and instead prefers to sketch his climax based on the character’s evolution during filming.
When Menon was invited by Ishari K Ganesh of Vels Film International to direct a film under the banner with Varun in the lead, he pitched Yohan again. The project was immediately green lit after incorporating suitable changes including the title. “The first schedule of shooting is underway,” says the source, adding that an announcement may be made after Menon manages to get ENPT out of his way. It is to be noted that Menon rendered his voice for a song Uyirae Vaa for Varun’s film Puppy that was also produced by Vels Film International.
