Jyothika to reprise Vidya Balan's Sulu

Actress Jyothika, who is still basking in a legion of accolades for her tough cop role in Tamil film Naachiyaar that released on Friday, has already signed another project.

After choosing films like 36 Vayadhinile, a remake of Manju Warrior’s Malayalam blockbuster How Old Are You, Jyothika will now reprise National Award-winning actress, Vidya Balan’s character in the Tamil remake of the 2017 Bollywood hit Tumhari Sulu. The film will be helmed by Radha Mohan, who had earlier directed Jyothika in a career-defining role — that of a speech-hearing impaired girl in Mozhi.

Sources confirm that Jyothika, who is being quite cautious while choosing scripts in this comeback phase of her career, was very impressed with Balan’s role of a middle-class ambitious housewife who turns a radio jockey on a late night relationship advice show. Notably, Balan won critical acclaim for her alluring portrayal of a housewife-RJ besides garnering several awards. The director of Tumhari Sulu also received critical praise from one and all.

In an earlier interview with Deccan Chronicle, Jyothika had clarified that she would now sign only meaningful roles containing a social message. Although details such as who has bought the film’s remake rights and the production details are not known yet, the 39-year-old Tamil actress may emerge victorious with this role if all the pieces aptly fit together. Moreover, it was her pairing up with this very director that fetched Jyothika several awards and reportedly took her very close to the National Award for best actress (however, she lost it by a narrow margin that year).

Presently, Jyothika is busy with Mani Ratnam’s Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, which is being shot in the city.