Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 to feature these 2 late actors through CGI?

Shankar's directorial Indian 2 stars Kamal Haasan, Kajal Aggarwal, and Rakul Preet Singh in major roles. The film, which has been in production for the past 4 years, is now expected to release on Pongal next year. In between this, two cast members died. While Vivek passed away due to cardiac arrest. Nedmudi Venu, on the other hand, lost his life due to COVID-19 complications in 2021. 

The newsmakers 

Vivek was a renowned comedian and multi-talented film personality in Tamil cinema. The actor debuted in 1987 with Manathil Uruthi Vendum and went on to work in various films like Run, Sivaji, Anniyan, Perazhagan, and more. He died in April 2021 at the age of 59 after a cardiac arrest. 

(Vijay debuted in 1987 with Manathil Uruthi Vendum | Image: Twitter)

Nedumudi Venu, on the other hand, was a Kerala-born Indian actor and screenwriter. In an almost 50-year acting career, he appeared in more than 500 films, mostly in the Malayalam and Tamil languages. He wrote screenplay of and also directed a film titled Pooram. Venu died at KIMS Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on 11 October 2021, at the age of 73.

(Nedumudi Venu worked in more than 500 films in his five-decade-long career | Image: Twitter)

The two actors were supposed to play important roles in Indian 2. Their portions were inmcomplete when theu died.

Who’s saying what?

According to reports, Shankar has decided to use CGI and body doubles to bring back the two late actors on-screen in Indian 2. While some scenes were already shot with Vivek and Nedumudi Venu, the remaining part will be recreated by using computer-generated imagery and their stand-ins.

Indian 2 is the follow-up to the 1996 hit Indian, in which Kamal Haasan played both the son. The latter was killed in the film's climax. The Shankar directorial is produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin’s banner Red Giant Movies along with Lyca Productions.