The star has almost completed 50 percent of his current assignment, his 49th film Vettaikaran, which is going to release for Diwali 2009.

In all likelihood Vijay’s 50th film will be produced by Sangili Murugan, the veteran producer who gave him stardom with Fazil’s Kathalakku Mariyadai. It will be an emotional moment for Vijay and Murugan if they come together.

Now who will direct it? The latest we hear is that five directors have been shortlisted to direct the 50th film. All of them except ‘Jayam’ Raja have worked with him sometime in the past. The idea is that the star will go through the story idea of all the directors and then decide what suits his image the best before finalizing the director.

The man who tops the list is Kollywood’s number one commercial director K.S Ravikumar, who will take up the project only if he is able to start and finish his Vikram untitled film for producer Mohan Natarajan by November.

Next on the list is ‘Jayam’ Raja who is keen to remake the Telugu Nagarjuna super hero film Azad with Vijay. The film suits Vijay’s image, but nothing has been firmed up.

There are three other candidates in the list- director Selva, who is known for making commercially viable thrillers, Perarasu the mass masala king and Malayalam director Siddique who wants to remake his Bodyguard with the star.

The industry buzz is that finally it may be a dark horse who will emerge as the winner. However one thing is clear- Asin, Vijay’s lucky mascot is almost sure to do the film if she can juggle her dates.

The film’s first schedule commenced recently on March 9 across the exotic locations of Rajahmundry where a title song featuring Vijay and 100 Junior Artists were shot extensively…

Vijay Antony who has been rocking the town with his new musical genre ‘Rock-Gaana’ has tuned melodies that would break the floors when Vijay dances for it. Gopinath who earlier cranked cameras for Dharani’s film handles cinematography.

Anushka makes her comeback in Kollywood with this film.

Babu Sivan exclusively speaking to media has said that he has blended the best commercial aspects suiting Vijay’s usual traits of masala stuffs.

Anushka who pairs up with Vijay for this film dons the role of a software engineer. Salim Khosh has been roped in for playing the role baddie here.

Movies currently being shot in Hyderabad include two of Tamil cinema’s biggest draws this year: Kamal Haasan’s Unnaipol Oruvan and Vijay’s Vettaikaran. Unnaipol Oruvan is said to be shooting some scenes in a government office while Vettaikaran is stationed in a college where scenes involving Vijay and Anushka are being shot.

Hyderabad has always been a favored location for film industries across the country, mainly because of its proximity to the huge Ramoji Rao Studios where almost any kind of scene can be shot. Now with the city also being a preferred destination, film fans from Tamil Nadu might now have to take a trip to Hyderabad to catch their favorite stars in action.

Internet aficionados are happy listening to songs from Vijay‘s ‘Vettaikaran‘ and Simbu’s ‘Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya.’ This song that has leaked is from ‘Vettaikaran‘ composed by Vijay Anthony.

“Vettaikaran doi Vettaikaran doi
Vetta vetta vetta vetta
Vettaikaran doi
Vettaikaran paramparaidaa
Vettaiyaada varendaa
Vettaruvaa ayudhamdaa
Vengaipola paayuvendaa…”

Even before the audio Cd has been made, how did these songs leak out? The producers are tearing their hair in frustration.

Anushka is the new lady in Vijay’s 49th venture ‘Vettaikaran’. All excited the lady says ‘I am very happy to Vijay’s lady in Vettaikaran. He is a very good actor and a great dancer. I was introduced to Tamil audience through ‘Rendu’. Tamil ‘Arundhathi’ made me famous among women and children. I will definitely steal youngsters attention through ‘Vettaikaran’ said this ‘Mobila’ girl Anushka.

Though a foreign stuntman was used in one particular chase and fight scene, it was Kannan master who supervised it.

Now Kannal Kannan is doing super action scenes for Vettaikaran in AVM Studio. It is a market scene with Ilayathalapathy Vijay and Sri Hari, the Telugu actor (Disco Shanthi’s husband) playing the villain clashing.

The highlight of this action scene is the “lightning movements of Vijay”, according to unit hands. The whole fight scene is being canned by director Babu Sivam with great care and a lot of effort.

This is because Anushka, more popular as ‘Arundhathee‘ today, has returned to Andhra Pradesh to complete her important Telugu assignments, including ‘Varudhu’ with Mahesh Babu.

‘Vettaikaran’, produced by AVM, is being directed by a former associate to Dharani, director Babu Sivan.

The grapevine is abuzz that Vijay is spotting a new look for the film, which will not be revealed immediately.

The film produced by A V M Balasubramaniam and directed by Babu Shivam, has Anushka as heroine. The buzz is that the film is an action packed family entertainer laced with comedy and sentiment.

As per sources in the unit, the hero introduction song was picturised in which Vijay‘s son Sanjay has danced with his dad against an Ayyanar temple background. Then hero meeting heroine for the first time in a very comic manner was shot in a Railway Station. Added to that some talkie portions were also canned in and around Rajahmundry.

The second schedule of the film is to start in Chennai in the second week of April, and it will be shot mostly at AVM studio including a set song. Vijay Antony is composing the second song likely to be a duet.

Sources close to the unit confirmed that Sanjay has done a dance number with Vijay shot by cameraman Gopinath and directed by Babu Shivam in Rajahmundry. Shobhi, who excels in mass songs, choreographed it in front of an Ayyanar temple set.

Those on the sets said Sanjay a chip of the old block, as he danced well to his dad’s steps and impressed everybody.

The old timers on the sets says that it was coincidental that Kamal Hassan too made his debut like Sanjay, as a child artist in a film produced by AVM (Kalathur Kannamma)!

The song tuned by Vijay Antony is a high energy peppy fast number with lyrics by Kapilan. Says Vijay Antony: “It is a real fast number, better than my Nakku Mukka or Aathichudi. It is the introduction song of Vijay sir and has been composed to suit his style and dance.”