Even as he is gearing up to act in Venkat Prabhu’s Maanaadu, STR has signed on a new film that also stars Gautham Karthik. The film will be directed by Nathan, who has been an associate of KGF director Prashanth Neel, and had previously directed the 2017 Kannada film Mufti.

A source tells us that this film will be an adaptation of Mufti, reworked to suit the two Tamil stars. The story revolves around a cop who goes undercover to hunt down a gangster, who is considered a do-gooder by the people in his region. “STR will be playing the role of the gangster, which was played by Shiva Rajkumar in the original while Gautham Karthik will be seen as the undercover cop (Sriimurali played this role in the Kannada film). The director has rewritten the characters in such a way that they suit the age of the actors. He has also made considerable changes to a few crucial portions in the film,” informs the source.

“It will be a big-budget action thriller with an emotional connect,” says the film’s producer KE Gnanavel Raja, and adds, “While Simbu and Gautham Karthik will be the leads, there will be a senior hero appearing in a crucial role.”

Madhan Karky has been roped in to write the dialogues for the film. He will also be in charge of the lyrics. Stunt twins Anbariv, who have worked for films like Madras and Kabali, will be choreographing the action sequences. Naaven Kumar, who shot Mufti, will handle the cinematography. The film is expected to go on floors on May 25. Simbu is currently in the UK, apparently working on his physique for Venkat Prabhu’s Maanaadu. It is not clear if he will be shooting it and this project, his 45th film, simultaneously.