The makers of director Mohan G Kshatriyan’s highly anticipated historical film ‘Draupathi 2’ have announced that they have selected an alternative singer to perform the song ‘Emkoney’. Originally sung by Chinmayi, her version will not be included in the theatrical release.
Director and Producer’s Statements
In a conversation with the media, director Mohan G Kshatriyan and producer Chola Shakkaravarthi confirmed the decision. “The song will appear in this other person’s voice in the film,” producer Chola Shakkaravarthi stated.
Chinmayi had previously issued an apology on social media after the song’s release, expressing regret for her involvement. She mentioned, “At the outset, my heartfelt apologies for ‘Emkoney’. Ghibran is a composer I have known for 18 years since my jingle-singing days. When his office called for this song, I just went and sang as I usually do. If I remember right, Ghibran wasn’t present during this session – I was given an idea on how to sound tonally for the song; I finished the recording and left. It is only now that I have learned about the context. If I had known beforehand, I would never have collaborated because the ideologies are at complete contradiction to mine. This is the absolute truth.”
Complaints Filed
Director Mohan G Kshatriyan mentioned, “I had given time until last week in the hope that she would react. I have lodged a complaint with the director’s union, and the producer has lodged a complaint with the producers’ council. We have complained that without any cause, she has defamed our film in public. Both complaints have gone to FEFSI. The process takes time. We have chosen an alternate voice for her.”
Fan Expectations and Story Inspiration
The film has generated significant anticipation among fans and film enthusiasts. Mohan G Kshatriyan revealed that the inspiration for the screenplay came from a small book titled Moondram Vallalla Maharaja by historian Annal Kandar. “The prime historical events shown in the film are all based on facts. However, we have used cinematic liberties while developing characters. It took me almost a year to complete the script, as I had to meet a lot of people to learn about this subject. The third Veera Vallalalar ruled with Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu as his capital,” he explained.
Recently, the makers unveiled the poster featuring actor Chirag Jani as Mohammad Bin Tughlaq, which delighted fans. In his post on X, director Mohan G Kshatriyan stated, “Terror Wears A Crown. Unveiling the Delhi Sultanate #MohdBinThugluq…@JaniChiragjani nailed it. Roaring as First-Level Antagonist.”
Film Details
‘Draupathi 2’ is a grand multilingual period film set in 14th-century South India. The film has recently completed post-production and received a ‘U/A’ certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for release.
Insiders suggest that the film will feature three powerful villains, with Chirag Jani as the primary antagonist.
The cast includes Richard Rishi in the lead role, Rakshana Indusudan as the female lead, and Natti Natraj in a pivotal part. The ensemble also features Y G Mahendran, Nadodigal Barani, Saravana Subbiah, Vel Ramamoorthy, Siraj Johnny, Dinesh Lamba, Ganesh Gaurang, Divi, Devayani Sharma, and Arunodayan.
Produced by Chola Shakkaravarthi under Netaji Productions in collaboration with G.M. Film Corporation, the film’s cinematography is handled by Philip R. Sundar, music by Ghibran Vaibodha, action choreography by Action Santosh, choreography by Thanika Tony, editing by Devaraj, and production design by Kamalnathan. Dialogues for the film have been penned by Padma Chandrasekhar and Mohan G.