Tovino was cast as the villain in Maari 2 as the role demanded an intense actor: Balaji Mohan

Dhanush’s Maari 2 recently went on floors. The movie’s first schedule is currently progressing in Tenkasi. Balaji Mohan, who helmed the first part, is directing the sequel as well. Promising young Malayali actor Tovino Thomas is playing the antagonist and ‘Premam’ fame Sai Pallavi plays Dhansuh’s pair in the movie. Varalakshmi Sarath Kumar and Krishna will also be seen in crucial roles.

Tovino’s casting in Maari 2 came as a big surprise to everyone. In a recent interview, director Balaji Mohan revealed why he signed Tovino for the role. Though the first part was not a big hit, it had a wide reach. So when a sequel was planned, the director collected feedback on what went wrong in Maari. While scripting for the new movie, he took all that into consideration, and first designed the antagonist. The script was later developed from him.

On casting Tovino, Balaji Mohan said, “The villain character demanded an intense actor and I thought that casting someone who is already recognized in the industry would be an advantage. So we decided to rope in Tovino Thomas.”

The villain role in the first part essayed by playback singer Vijay Yesudas was the movie’s weakest link. So, it looks like the director has taken extra care this time to place a strong antagonist opposite the powerful Maari. Singing Tovino as the villain was a great move as the actor enjoys good market in Kerala.

The biggest attraction of Maari was its music by Anirudh Ravichander. But in the sequel, Yuvan Shankar Raja has replaced him. Dhanush himself is producing the movie under his banner Wunderbar Films. The makers have informed that the movie will be made as a bilingual in Tamil and Telugu.