Exclusive: Ajith did 90% of stunts in Valimai himself, says producer Boney Kapoor

Ajith Kumar's action extravaganza Valimai, which has seen several delays, will finally hit the screens on 24 February. In a telephonic conversation with Cinestaan.com, Boney Kapoor, the film's producer, spoke about his collaboration with the leading man in glowing terms.

 "He is a huge star down South, and yet, he has all the professional ethics and focus. He is dedicated and we struck a good bond," Kapoor said.

Valimai is Kapoor's second project with the actor. The duo delivered the hit Nerkonda Paarvai in 2019 and has already begun preparations for their next film, AK61, which goes on the floors on 9 March. Yet, it is Valimai, which features Huma Qureshi and Kartikeya Gummakonda, that has left the producer with fond memories. 

Talking about the fans' anticipation and insatiable curiosity about the film, which has become something of a meme itself, he said, "#ValimaiUpdate had become such a big trend on social media. Even #IndiavEngland saw people ask the same question. Even some MPs were asked questions about Valimai." 

Recently, Indian cricketer R Ashwin spoke about being asked about the status of the film by English cricketer Moeen Ali, who had been posed the question by some random fans in the stadium during an India-England match. 

Announced in 2019, the first look of the film was only released two years later. The project went through several changes in terms of release dates due to the pandemic, before the makers settled on 24 February 2022.

The producer credited Ajith and director H Vinoth, for standing by the project through all the challenges. Describing the film, Kapoor said, "It is the story of a hero who is fighting the war against evil. He is a conscientious person who wants good in society and wants evil removed from society. " 

With a heavy focus on action, Valimai sees Ajith perform jaw-dropping feats of daredevilry. The actor, a keen racer, shot for most of the stunt scenes without a double. In 2021, the makers released a behind-the-scenes video of the actor skidding off a bike and injuring himself during a stunt scene. 

Kapoor said, "He did 90% of the stunts himself. While doing a wheelie, he injured himself. But the next scene, he was there." He added, "In the South, heroes really want to use duplicates. In Valimai, almost all of the shots are of Ajith only." 

Despite the delay, the producer was confident of the film being a success. He said, "I have this instinctive feeling that it will be accepted and lapped up by the audience. The kind of action we have in the film...It is an Indian story and a very Indian film."