Press meet for ‘Muthu Engira Kattan’ web series starring Vijay Sethupathi, ‘Makal Selvan’ to be released on Jio Hotstar

A press conference was held in Chennai to promote the ten-episode web series ‘Muthu Engira Kattan’, starring ‘Makkall Selvan’ Vijay Sethupathi and directed by P. Ajith Kumar, which will be released on the Jio Hotstar digital platform from March 27th.

Directed by National Award-winning director Manikandan and director and editor P. Ajith Kumar, the web series ‘Muthu Engira Kattan’ stars Vijay Sethupathi, Milind Soman, Sudev Nair, Muthukumar, Singam Puli, Kalaivani Bhaskar, VJ Parvathy, Risha Jacob, Vadivel Murugan, Abhi Natchathira and many others. Cinematography is by Madhu Neelakandan and Shanmugasundaram, and music is composed by Rajesh Murugesan. The web series is produced by actor Vijay Sethupathi under Vijay Sethupathi Productions for the Jio Hotstar digital platform.

A promotional event for this web series, which will be released on the Jio Hotstar digital platform from March 27th, was held in Chennai. The web series team participated in this.

Speaking at the event, Krishnan Kutty, Head of South India Division of Jio Hotstar, said, “We are proud to present the web series Muthu Engira Kattan. I have been responsible for 40 shows that have been released on the Jio Hotstar platform in the last three years. Muthu Engira Kattan series is outstanding among them. We believe that this initiative is an attempt to move the Jio Hotstar digital platform to the next level. Vijay Sethupathi’s contribution in this is very special. In the first chapter of the story, only the hero’s head will be featured. This is different.

The journey with this team has been very long. We have been traveling with them for almost two and a half years. The entire journey has been filled with love. This is the first time we are associated with Vijay Sethupathi’s production company.
We have already worked together with Vijay Sethupathi on the Bigg Boss show. I would like to thank Vijay Sethupathi for this.

Thanks to director Manikandan for directing this web series. He was the backbone of this web series. Thanks to director Ajith Kumar and writer Rajkumar. Thanks to all the actors, actresses and technicians who worked. This web series will reach all the fans across the country and be a success,” he said.

Pradeep, Senior Vice President, Content, Jio Hotstar Digital Platform, said, “When director Manikandan first told us about this project, we all liked it. After that, we met Vijay Sethupathi. Then he said, ‘I am doing this story with all my heart. I know this very well. It cannot be completed on a specific day. I promised that I will provide full cooperation no matter how many days this project takes. It is a great thing to get such a promise from a star actor. That confidence motivated us. This is the biggest budget production we have ever made.

We started the work. But the delay came in a different form. After the shooting of this lasted for 20 days, many producers backed out due to budget. Due to this, this project will stop..! When it was a situation.. I met Vijay Sethupathi and held talks. I requested him to produce this project. After thinking for a while, he became an actor and producer.

The reason I am sharing this is because we are in the world of pregnancy. Once you sign on the dotted line, nothing can be done after that. Vijay Sethupathi understood this situation and stood by us till the end. For this, I thank him once again.

We can definitely say that this is the biggest budget web series in Tamil. When this story begins, the only thing the viewer sees is the severed head of the hero of the story. Today, no big star actor in any industry in India would say yes to such a story. Only Vijay Sethupathi has the courage to say that. That is the grandeur of this web series. After seeing that severed head, no one can help but watch this story in its entirety.

“Also, this web series has many actors not only from Tamil Nadu but also from Kerala and Mumbai. So it is a pan-India project,” he said.

Director – Film Editor P. Ajith Kumar said, “First of all, thank you to Vijay Sethupathi – Director Manikandan – Jio Hotstar. I initially worked as a film editor. After the first phase of shooting.. the story discussion with the director continued. As Pradeep mentioned, when there was a delay, more than a hundred people supported us. Jio Hotstar continued to provide us with complete cooperation. Especially, Vijay Sethupathi’s production company provided full contribution so that the work should be of high quality.

The technical artists who worked together were all talented. They all worked hard. Even the actors who played small roles in this film gave their dedicated work.
Manikandan’s idea for this web series was very good. We all discussed it together and presented it as a work that everyone can watch and enjoy today. I express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who worked for this. I am sure that this web series will be liked by fans from all walks of life,” he said.

Actor Milind Soman said, “I am very happy to be standing on this stage. This is my first time acting in a web series being made in Tamil. For this, I would like to express my gratitude to the team of Vijay Sethupathi, Manikandan and Geo Hot Star.”

I really liked this story. Especially the fact that the story begins with the severed head of a leading star actor. This surprised me. When I asked the director why I played the role in this film, he gave a complete and elegant explanation. I would like to thank the director once again for believing in me and giving me the role.

“Not just my character, but everyone who worked on this series worked together as a team. That also impressed me. I thank everyone for this too,” he said.

Cinematographer Shanmugasundaram said, “This is the third time I have worked with Vijay Sethupathi. I worked on ‘Andavan Kattaliya’ starring Vijay Sethupathi, directed by Manikandan. After that, I worked on ’96’ starring Vijay Sethupathi. Both these films were hits. This is the third time we are working together. This too will be a success.”

Only Manikandan can handle such screenplays. Before Kaaka Muttai, he had directed a short film called Wind. There were only two characters in it. One was a corpse. The other was Vijay Sethupathi. It wouldn’t be like a short film. It would be like a movie. I was amazed to see it.

“I talked to Vijay after watching the film ‘Kadaisi Kashyap’. I said that I enjoyed watching every scene and the hard work of both of you. Vijay Sethupathi has acted in this web series in the action thriller genre. It has huge action scenes. Everyone likes it very much,” he said.

Cinematographer Madhu Neelakandan said, “I feel proud to have had a part in this production, working with talented stars and amazing technicians.”

Music composer Rajesh Murugesan said, “The experience of traveling with this team was a joy. From the moment Manikandan narrated the story, working on it was an unforgettable thrill. It was also a joy to work with my favorite actor, Vijay Sethupathi. Initially, we discussed that we could feature small songs in each episode. But when the script was completed, only three songs were included. Out of them, Vijay Sethupathi created the melody for one song. I liked the way he recited it in that environment on the set. We refined that and made it into a song.”

Screenwriter R. Rajkumar said, “I participated in the screenplay creation with director Manikandan. That experience was great. Director Manikandan is a great friend. We have known each other since before the film Kaaka Muttai. A friend of ten to fifteen years. From that moment on, he would help me with my screenplay. I would help him with his screenplay.”

Manikandan’s idea for this web series was special. It was a true incident that happened in Manikandan’s father’s life. We started talking about discussing it and expanding it. We discussed it for months. The head has been found, where is the torso? Is he good? Is he bad? Is he a murderer? Is he a robber? We created many branch stories and created it with interesting new unexpected twists. This is a kind of new effort. Thank you to Manikandan for giving this opportunity.

We can create two more web series based on the things we both talked about. We’ve talked about the characters to that extent.

It is a big deal that Vijay Sethupathi chose this story. No mass hero would admit this. But Vijay Sethupathi believed in this script a lot. For this, I would like to thank him at this moment.

“This web series is a new endeavor and Tamil fans will always celebrate it,” he said.

Actress Abhi Natchathira said, “I am very happy to be a part of this work. This team is very big. This work is also huge. I have played the character of Sittu, who is very naughty. Everyone likes this character. Vijay Sethupathi sir has motivated me many times. This web series will be a big success with the support of the fans.”

Actress VJ Parvathy said, “I have been waiting for this day for many years. When I heard from director Manikandan’s team, I did not believe it at first. Then, after meeting Manikandan through networking, I got confidence. Because I have grown up watching his works. They asked me to come to Usilampatti, and I went in modern clothes. After going there, the costume designer gave me the dress for the Madurai female character. It was only when I stood for a photo shoot wearing that dress without any makeup that I saw myself as the character Lalitha. I consider it my privilege and a blessing that I have received. If there is a Vijay Sethupathi-Manikandan alliance, everyone has high expectations. I have got the opportunity to play Lalitha in this. It will definitely take me to the next level,” she said.

Actress Risha Jacob said, “I am a little nervous. I have spoken on many stages. But this stage is very new for me. I am very happy and have mixed feelings. I am also grateful to Vijay Sethupathi for giving me the opportunity to act in this film.”
“I learned a lot by participating in the filming of this web series. I learned what… how long I can do it… what I can’t do… everything. I thank the entire team who worked with me,” he said.

Actor Vijay Sethupathi said, “We can make two or three series based on the events that happened behind the scenes from the beginning of this web series, Muthu Engira Kattan, to this moment. Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make this web series come out today. Especially a big thank you to Jio Hotstar.”

They may say that I supported them. But the main reason for this is the trust they placed in me. I only came to know after I came here. That this is the biggest web series ever made in Tamil. I am very grateful to Pradeep who was with me in this experience. Whether it is Bigg Boss or this web series, his contribution is great.

One day I was in the office and Pradeep came. He sat down on the sofa. He asked me to sit down too. I sat down too. He started talking about asking you something and you should not refuse. It sounded like a marriage proposal to me. I kept thinking about what he would ask. He said that you should be the host of Bigg Boss. As soon as I said that, what am I going to do with it? I don’t know anything about it. I haven’t even seen it. Ask Simbu or Suriya. I said that Simbu already has experience in this. But Pradeep asked you to do it.

Like this many times… If I’m in this position in life today, I don’t have much experience… I don’t have much exposure… For some reason, the faith I have in myself has taken me forward. I never had much faith in myself.

Only when I do a job and others appreciate it do I realize, ‘Oh, I can do this job better.’ I didn’t know that before. But before that, there are people who believe in me. This is the biggest surprise for me. Manikandan was like that too. There have been many people like this in my life. There have been friends who believed in me. There are.
I started believing in myself because so many people believed in me. I am grateful to everyone, including Pradeep, who believed in me in that way.

Manikandan and I met and became friends by chance one day. Through his friend Vinoth, I got the opportunity to act in Manikandan’s short film. That has brought me to where I am today.

Manikandan’s knowledge always amazes me. He sees every subject from a different angle. Everyone who has worked with him here knows that he understands something very quickly once he sees it. He easily picks up acting skills from actors. Sometimes it is only after he has finished acting that you realise how much he has thought about that scene. He is the kind of person who always amazes me.

I have known him since 2008. Everything he writes is interesting and surprising. He has given many wonderful films including this web series and has also given wonderful songs. For this, I would like to thank him at this moment.

When a situation arose where Manikandan could not continue working, Ajith Kumar, who worked as an editor, directed it. When I had a question about how this web series would go… Ajith took it into his own hands beautifully and completed it clearly. I thank him for this too.

At one point, when Manikandan was not there, I called up director Karthik, who directed the film ‘Udan Paal’, and asked him to work on it, thinking that I would be the one to help Ajith Kumar when he was directing it. I asked him with authority because he knows our town intimately. I also thank him for accepting my invitation and working on it.

“Thank you to all the cinematographers, music composers, actors, actresses, and technicians who worked on this. Muthu Engira Kattan web series will be released on Jio Hotstar on March 27th. I hope everyone likes it,” he said.