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For all those who were upset about rumours that the shoot for Mankatha had been stalled, here's some good news.

Contrary to what a few media reports had claimed, work on Thala Ajith's 50th film is on in full swing. Rubbishing reports which had claimed that the film's shooting had been stalled due to financial constraints, the director of the film Venkat Prabhu clarifies, "I was really disturbed when I read those reports in a magazine, especially when the shoot for the film is going smoothly. We finished our Bangkok schedule and we are erecting a set in Chennai now, which looks like Dharavi in Mumbai. It's true that rain played spoilsport on one day and we had to cancel shoot. But that does not mean that we have financial constraints! When we have almost completed our talkie portions and the songs are ready, how can one spread rumours like these?"

The director also adds that Action King Arjun will replace Nagarjuna in this film for a pivotal role. "Nagarjuna could not juggle his dates and so we had to rope in Arjun for the role. It's an action subject with an ensemble cast comprising Trisha, Lakshmi Rai, Vaibhav and Premgi to name a few. I am also introducing two new actors, both of whom have significant roles in the story. And the best part is that one of Mahakavi Bharathiar's great grandsons, Niranjan Bharathi, has penned lyrics for the album of Mankatha along with Vaali and my father Gangai Amaran. It's actually a great honour to have someone from that family on board," enthuses Venkat Prabhu.

Venkat Prabhu is also upbeat about the music of the album. "Yuvan Shankar has done a fabulous job in the film. I've also plans to include an item number for the film, for which I'll be roping in a big name. The audio launch is likely to be in March and the film is expected to hit the screens in May. Mankatha will be a special summer release," concludes the director.