Venkatesh in a challenging role

After playing fun-centric roles in films like 'F2' and 'Venky Mama', seasoned star Venkatesh is doing a challenging role in his upcoming film 'Naarappa,' remake of Dhanush-starrer Tamil blockbuster 'Asuran' which went on floors on Wednesday in Anantapur. Sreekanth Addala will be helming the rural-based revenge saga.

'Naarappa' will see Venkatesh play a character across two decades. In the present-day portions, he plays a much-older version of the character, with grownup kids. In flashback, he essays the younger version of his character.

While Venkatesh will reprise Dhanush's role from the original, Priyamani will slip into the shoes of Manju Warrier's character from 'Asuran.' Mani Sharma has been roped in to compose music.

Venkatesh is rumoured to be shedding weight to play the young version of his own character.

Based on the popular Tamil novel "Vekkai", the Tamil original was a blockbuster on release last year, with over Rs 100 crore in gross earnings.

Directed by Vetrimaaran, the film is the violent revenge story of a father, who avenges the ruthless murder of his elder son. The film features Dhanush in dual roles, playing his character over two generations.

The film is bankrolled by Suresh Productions and V Creations.