Sarath Kumar to play the lead in Tamil film Rendaavathu Aatam

Actor and politician Sarath Kumar is to play the lead in a Tamil film by a newcomer.

The news assumes significance as it was only a few days ago that the actor’s residence was raided by income-tax officers.

Just days after the raid, news has emerged that the actor will play the lead in a Tamil film called Rendaavathu Aatam, which is to be directed by newcomer Prithvi Adhithya.

A source close to the film's unit said work on Rendaavathu Aatam will start by June.

"I grew up watching the films of Al Pacino. He is a great inspiration. His influence on me has been phenomenal. When I started to script the character of the protagonist, I found it had more traces of my idol Al Pacino. When I narrated the script to my producer IB Karthikeyan of Bigprint Pictures and to some of my friends, the one name everybody suggested was Sarath sir’s,” Prithvi said.

Stating that Tamil audiences are open to watching middle-aged actors playing the lead, Prithvi said, "Sarath sir plays a cop and I am sure he can play the role to perfection. Rendaavathu Aatam will be a trendsetter and the film will be on a par with Hollywood films. We will be seeing a different Sarath sir which is going to be a treat for his fans. We are now selecting artistes for the other principal characters, and the main crew."