Nawazuddin plays Singaar Singh in Rajinikanth’s Petta; first look out

Karthik Subbaraj's Petta marks the southern debut of Hindi actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui. On Wednesday (5 December), the makers of the film, also starring Rajinikanth, Megha Akash and Vijay Sethupathi, unveiled the first look of Siddiqui's character - Singaar Singh -  who is rumoured to be a friend of Rajinikanth’s character in the film.

Going by the poster, Siddiqui will sport a slightly older look than his real self in the film, which is gearing up for Pongal 2019 release.

Petta also marks the first collaboration between Rajinikanth and Subbaraj. The film also stars Trisha, Simran, Sasikumar, veteran filmmaker Mahendran, Megha and Bobby Simhaa in key roles. Trisha will be sharing screen space with Rajinikanth for the first time and on being signed for the project, she had said that her career has come full circle.

On teaming up with Rajinikanth, Subbaraj had said he sees it as a fascinating opportunity to make his dream come true. The film, which has been predominantly shot in north India, has music composed by Anirudh Ravichander. Rajinikanth reportedly plays a professor with a violent past in Petta. The film has been produced by Sun Pictures on a lavish budget.   

The title and motion poster of the film were released in September. The entire motion poster – featuring Rajinikanth turning and walking in slow motion – unfolds inside a church. In October, Rajinikanth tweeted that the shoot of Petta was wrapped-up 15 days ahead of schedule. He thanked the director and the film's producers for their support. The film’s first single – 'Marana Mass' – was released earlier this week and the folk number was an instant hit with the audiences who’ve already shared several cover versions on social media. A second song is expected to be released on 7 December.