Chennai, Oct 8 (NationPress) According to industry insiders, the production team behind director Vetrimaaran's highly anticipated film 'Arasan', starring actor Simbu in the lead role, is contemplating casting actress Samantha or Keerthy Suresh as the female lead.

Reliable sources from IANS indicate that discussions with actress Samantha for the role are currently underway.

It was just this past Tuesday that the film's title was officially unveiled as 'Arasan'.

Producer Kalaipuli S Thanu, whose V Creations is behind the project, announced the title on his X timeline.

He posted in Tamil, "Aalapirandha Arasan, Vetriyudan Silambarasan. #VetriMaaran @SilambarasanTR_ #STR49 #SilambarasanTR #VCreations47 #ARASAN. (The king who was born to rule! Victorious Silambarasan!)."

The accompanying poster depicted a man wielding a machete while resting his hand on the back of a bicycle.

This announcement effectively dispelled rumors regarding the film's cancellation.

Earlier, IANS had reported that the film was indeed still in production, countering speculation about it being shelved. The title reveal followed reports suggesting financial difficulties had threatened the project's viability.

These rumors arose amid purported financial challenges and external pressures to terminate the film. Nevertheless, sources confirmed to IANS that the shooting would proceed and that Silambarasan TR chose a profit-sharing model over upfront payment.

Vetrimaran's film featuring Simbu will also include Andrea Jeremiah, Samuthirakani, and Kishore in pivotal roles.

It’s worth noting that director Vetrimaran recently quashed speculation regarding a sequel to his much-awaited film 'Vada Chennai'. Vetrimaran clarified that while his next project will star Simbu, it will not be 'Vada Chennai 2' as some media outlets had suggested. He emphasized that the narrative of this film would still be set within the universe of 'Vada Chennai'.

In a prior interview on his YouTube channel, Vetrimaran elaborated on 'Arasan', stating, "My next film is being produced by Kalaipuli S Thanu and will star Simbu in the lead role."

Addressing the speculation surrounding whether this project was 'Vada Chennai 2', Vetrimaran clarified, "There has been much conjecture regarding this being 'Vada Chennai 2'. I want to clarify this. This is not 'Vada Chennai 2'. The film featuring Dhanush will be 'Vada Chennai 2'. However, certain elements from that universe will indeed be reflected in this narrative and will share a similar timeline."