A few years ago, Samantha was officially roped in to play the female lead in the Indo-UK film Chennai Story. However, the latest media reports suggest that Shruti Haasan has replaced Samantha after the latter took a break from films due to her pregnancy.
The movie will be directed by BAFTA winner Philip John (Downton Abbey), and written by Nimmi Harasgama and Philip John. It is based on the novel The Arrangements of Love by Timeri N. Murari (The Taliban Cricket Club). The movie grabbed eyeballs when Samantha landed the project, and the latest buzz about Shruti Haasan’s inclusion has once again turned heads.
The UK- and India-set film will follow Nikhil, a working-class South Asian Welshman, who, following the death of his mother, travels to his ancestral homeland in Chennai, India, to locate his estranged father. In Chennai, he encounters Anu, a street-smart private detective whom he hires to assist with his quest.