Mari Selvaraj with Ilaiyaraaja.
| Photo Credit: Think Music India/YouTube
Tamil filmmaker Mari Selvaraj has officially announced his next film, Manjanathi. The project marks the first-ever collaboration between Mari and legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja.Following the success of Mari’s Vaazhai, Manjanathi is being produced under the banner Navvi Studios and is presented by Divya Mari Selvaraj. The film is jointly produced by Sushant Prasad of Fortune Entertainment.The project was announced during Ilaiyaraaja’s ‘From Raaja With Love’ concert in Chennai. Further announcements regarding the cast and technical crew are expected soon. Manjanathi is set to be Mari’s sixth directorial venture.— Mari Selvaraj (@mari_selvaraj) June 1, 2026Meanwhile, Mari is working on a historical film starring Dhanush, produced by Ishari K. Ganesh under Vels Film International. The film features music by A.R. Rahman, marking another collaboration between the composer and Mari after Maamannan (2023). As the historical project requires extensive research and large-scale pre-production work, Manjanathi is being made during the interim period, said an official press release.ALSO READ: 50 years of Ilaiyaraaja: The heartbeat of Tamil Nadu’s mofussil busesThe release further said, “Mari Selvaraj is shaping Manjanathi as an intimate, emotionally resonant, and rooted slice-of-life drama in the spirit of Vaazhai.”The filmmaker’s most recent work is Bison Kaalamaadan. Starring Dhruv Vikram, the Tamil sports drama, based on the life of India kabaddi player Manathi Ganesh, released on October 17, 2025. Recently, Tamil filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj also announced his collaboration with Ilaiyaraaja. Karthik’s 10th directorial, backed by Guneet Monga under the banner Sikhya Entertainment, will mark Ilaiyaraaja’s 1540th project. Published - June 01, 2026 04:44 pm IST
