Rajinikanth's 'Jailer 2' Universe Gets Bigger With Mithun Chakaraborty, Vidya Balan

The sequel to Jailer, one of superstar Rajinikanth's biggest box office hits, only keeps getting bigger. This time, Bollywood actors Mithun Chakraborty and Vidya Balan have reportedly been offered key roles in Jailer 2.

Balan, Deccan Herald reported citing people in the know, was roped in by the production house Sun Pictures, who has been in Chennai for the past few weeks and that she has already filmed her portions. A source told the Indian newspaper that she plays a vital role and that her entry will be at a crucial juncture in its plot.

Jailer (2023) was one of the year's biggest successes, raking in more than Rs 6 billion (Dh250 million approximately) at the global box office. Rajinkanth played Muthuvel Pandian, a retired cop who gets forced into action after his police inspector son goes missing. Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the movie featured cameos by stars such as Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar and Jackie Shroff, and won critical acclaim.

This will be the second time Balan stars in a Tamil movie, after the 2019 legal drama Nerkonda Paarvai, a remake of the Bollywood hit Pink.

That's not all. Chakraborty, a former Indian lawmaker, is expected to play a vital role in Jailer 2, which will be central to the movie, India Today reported. The star of Disco Dancer (1982), Agneepath (1990) and Phool Aur Angaar (1993) will debut in Tamil cinema with the movie that has already signed up Nandamuri Balakrishna, Shiva Rajkumar, SJ Suryah, in addition to its original cast members of Ramya Krishnan, Mirna Menon and Yogi Babu.

Chakraborty and Rajinikanth have a history of collaborations, with the superstar appearing in two of the former's films - the Hindi film Bhrastachar (1989) and the Bengali flick Bhagya Debata (1997).

Sun Pictures, owned by media baron Kalanithi Maran, is yet to issue an official statement on the involvement of the two actors.

In addition, Anna Reshma Rajan, best known for the 2017 Malayalam action film Angamaly Diaries, also stars in Jailer 2. Acclaimed Malayalam actor Suraj Venjaramoodu, known for his roles in Driving License and The Great Indian Kitchen, joined the sets of the movie late last month, The Times of India reported.

Earlier this year, Sun Pictures, which also produced the first instalment in the series, releasing a humorous announcement teaser on the occasion of the Pongal festival in January this year, hinting that the sequel would be a continuation of the first (Think: guns, ammunition and a tribute to Rajini's larger-than-life persona).

Meanwhile, Rajinikanth's Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and produced by Sun Pictures, which released on August 14, has grossed around Rs 5.06 billion till date, according to the box office tracker Sacnilk.

Jailer 2 is aiming for an early 2026 release although no official word is out yet.

MENAFN02092025000049011007ID1110007818