The road to Jailer 2 for action director Chethan D'Souza ran through Malayalam cinema. In a recent interview, the stunt choreographer from Mangaluru traced the chain back to a Fahadh Faasil film.
"It was the success of Aavesham that landed me Jailer 2," he said.
From Dhoomam to Aavesham
Chethan had spent more than a decade in Kannada cinema, on films such as Bhageera, Max and Ghost, after starting out with director Pawan Kumar's U-Turn in 2016. Pawan brought him back for Dhoomam in 2023, which starred Fahadh Faasil.
On that set, Fahadh was already planning his next project. He introduced Chethan to director Jithu Madhavan, and that meeting got him Aavesham.
The 2024 hit's fights, with their mix of action and comedy, then reached the right viewer. Nelson Dilipkumar saw the film and asked Chethan to handle the stunts for the first Jailer 2 promo, which featured Nelson, Anirudh and Rajinikanth. According to Chethan, Nelson liked how Aavesham kept its characters' quirks intact even in the middle of a fight, an approach the director shares.
On the Jailer 2 set
Chethan stayed quiet on spoilers but spoke about his first meeting with Rajinikanth. Hearing Chethan speak Kannada with his crew, Rajinikanth called him over, asked if he was from Karnataka, and kept the conversation going in Kannada. Chethan called it a meeting he could never forget.
He also said Rajinikanth needs little explanation for a stylish moment and often adds something of his own to the shot.
Away from the action, Chethan has been sharing lighter moments from the shoot. His "JAILER 2 - Diaries" carousel on Instagram includes the frame in which Suraj Venjaramoodu peeks into a photo with Ramya Krishnan.
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Jailer 2 releases on October 15.
Also read: Suraj Venjaramoodu on the 2.45 am applause from Rajinikanth on the Jailer 2 set: 'A lifetime moment'
