Thalapathy 69 was rejected by Ajith, Kamal Haasan before landing with Vijay

Thalapathy Vijay has announced his next movie, which is believed to be the final film of his career. Tentatively titled Thalapathy 69, the film will be directed by H. Vinoth, known for his work on Thunivu.

However, rumours suggest that the script for Thalapathy 69 had been circulating in Tamil cinema for quite some time before Vijay finally decided to end Vinoth's long wait and bring the project to life. According to sources, Vinoth first narrated the story of Thalapathy 69 back in 2017.

ALSO READ: Thalapathy 69: Vijay set to earn Rs 275 crore for his final film– his highest salary yet

Vinoth initially wanted to make the film right after his directorial debut, Sathuranga Vettai. However, Vijay couldn’t commit at the time, as he had already signed on to Atlee's Mersal. Vinoth then moved on to direct Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru. Later, he pitched the project to Ajith Kumar, with whom he collaborated on three films, including Nerkonda Paarvai, Valimai, and Thunivu. But Ajith reportedly wasn’t comfortable taking on such a politically-charged film. Vinoth even approached Vijay Sethupathi, known for socially conscious roles, but that effort also didn’t pan out.

A surprise came when Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan expressed interest in Vinoth’s film. The project, tentatively titled KH 233, was announced earlier this year, with Kamal not only starring in it but also producing it under his banner, Raaj Kamal Film International. A concept video was released, showing Kamal with a torch, accompanied by the tagline "Rise to Rule." However, the project was later shelved for unknown reasons.

It is said that Kamal gave Vinoth feedback on the script before stepping away from the project, which eventually went back to Vijay.

The producers, KVN Productions, have since unveiled a concept poster featuring a hand holding a torch of revolution, with the tagline "Torch Bearer of Democracy." This film is expected to set the stage for Vijay's complete transition from cinema to politics in 2026.

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