Sports

Murali Vijay, Darren Sammy to be part of Tamil film

They have already made a mark on the cricket field and now - Murali Vijay and Darren Sammy - are set to be seen in a new avatar.The duo will team up with Chepauk Super Gillies’ opener Thalaivan Sargunam in an upcoming Tamil movie which will go on floors soon.Starring Thalaivan in a lead role, Vijay and Sammy are scheduled to be part of a promo song in the movie titled ‘Kaarthi 77’, which will be directed by John Albert.John has been a co-director for Hari who was the man behind hit Tamil films like Singham and Saamy among others.‘Vijay is a childhood friend of mine and we both go back a long way. Sammy, too, has been friends with me since my stint with the Sunrisers Hyderabad.Not only are the two great players on the field, but they are lovely human beings off it. When I asked them to be part of the movie - they both agreed,’ Thalaivan told TOI after Chepauk Super Gillies’ win over Karaikudi Kaalai at the NPR College Grounds here on Sunday evening.The movie will mark the screen debut of Thalaivan, who is a prominent member of the Globe Trotters side in the TNCA first-division circuit.‘Cinema and cricket have always interested me from a young age. I wanted to be part of a movie which had substance. I definitely see this movie reaching wider audiences,’ said a confident Thalaivan.Elaborating more on the movie, Thalaivan mentioned, ‘It will have its share of cricket which would take about 10-15 minutes of the running time. The movie has a beautiful subject which I wouldn’t want to reveal at this point of time. We are in talks with famous artistes to play various characters. We are looking for a right producer at this point of time.’Would this move mean curtains to his cricket career? ‘I don’t think so. I would continue playing the shortest format of the game - Twenty20s. I would be playing the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and if I get a chance - even represent a franchise in the IPL (Indian Premier League). I am confident of managing my film career and my cricket commitments,’ said Thalaivan.