Mr X, the spy thriller starring Arya and directed by Manu Anand, is built on a premise most Tamil films wouldn’t touch: the lives of intelligence operatives so deeply embedded in classified work that their names can’t appear in a film’s credits, even posthumously. One of the two real people who inspired the story is no longer alive. The other remains unnamed. That alone tells you something about the kind of film Manu Anand set out to make, and why it took years to bring together.
The film, which releases worldwide on April 17, weaves together seven real incidents from different periods in Indian history. Its trailer, which dropped recently, shows Arya and Gautham Ram Karthik as field operatives racing to retrieve a lost nuclear device and prevent a catastrophic conflict. It was shot over nearly 100 days across Chennai, Rajasthan, and Azerbaijan, with action sequences choreographed by stunt director Silva, who also served as co-director. Russian stunt artists were brought in for the desert sequences in Rajasthan, where temperatures tested everyone on set.
Arya, who signed on after hearing just half an hour of the story, was candid about where his enthusiasm lies. “If I had the choice, I would have played Gautham Ram Karthik’s character. That’s how important it is,” he said. “After watching the film, everyone will praise Gautham.” It’s an unusual thing for a lead actor to say, but Arya has never been one for false modesty or territorial posturing. He was equally effusive about working alongside Manju Warrier: “I’m her biggest fan. When I saw her on set, I was thrilled. I even asked her if we could take just one photo together.”
This is Arya’s return to action-heavy territory after a string of varied projects. The actor, who broke through with Vishnuvardhan’s Arinthum Ariyamalum in 2005 and has since built a career that swings between commercial mass entertainers and offbeat choices, seems energized by Mr X. He praised Dhibu Ninan Thomas’s background score, saying he was amazed watching the first copy of the film. “Mr X will give theater-goers a completely new experience,” he added.
For director Manu Anand, whose previous film FIR drew attention for its topical storytelling and sharp writing, Mr X represents a significant scale-up. The film is 70% action by his own estimate, shot across international locations with a large ensemble cast. But he was firm about one thing at the trailer launch: this is not a pan-India film. “Many asked if this is a pan-India film. It’s not. It’s a Tamil film. That’s the intent,” he said, pushing back against the industry’s current obsession with multi-language releases at the cost of regional identity.
The Durandar comparisons were inevitable, given that both films draw from real events in Indian intelligence history. Manu addressed it head-on. “Don’t compare Mr X with Durandar. The only similarity is both are based on real events. Nothing else.” He was refreshingly restrained about his own film’s prospects: “I won’t call it extraordinary or say it’ll surpass Durandar. It’s a film based on real events. That’s it. But it’s definitely paisa vasool.”
The casting process itself reveals something about how Mr X came together. Getting Manju Warrier on board took the longest. She asked for the full script, which took three months to prepare. She then read it, walked around listening to it, and agreed within a week. Athulya Ravi wasn’t initially planned for the film but impressed Manu with her questions and genuine interest during their meeting. Raiza Wilson’s role went through the most casting changes before it was finalized.
R. Sarathkumar, who appears in Mr X with a distinctive white-haired, bearded look, brings a veteran’s weight to the ensemble. This is his 172nd film, and his reaction to Manu’s pitch is telling. “When Manu told me the story, I thought he was spinning a yarn to get me to act,” Sarathkumar recalled. “But then he showed me research papers. After two or three pages, I knew the amount of work he’d put in. I agreed immediately.” Having watched the completed film, he compared the experience to watching a James Bond movie. “If I felt that, imagine what ordinary audiences will experience.”
Sarathkumar also spoke about the film’s thematic core with genuine feeling. “Spies are unsung heroes. They can’t even tell their wives who they really are. Films like these are the only way to honor them.” He referenced Durandar’s commercial success as proof that audiences are hungry for stories rooted in real events and suggested that if Mr X delays its OTT release to 50 days after theatrical, it could draw even larger theater crowds.
Manju Warrier’s involvement adds a layer of credibility that goes beyond star power. The actress, who dominated Malayalam cinema for years before making her Tamil debut, said she had many doubts initially since the story isn’t about everyday life. “I asked the director many questions. He patiently answered all of them. Once I believed in it, I agreed.” She praised the strength of the female characters in Mr X, drawing parallels with international spy films that give women substantive roles rather than decorative ones. She also revealed she did more action in this film than anything she’s done before. “The minor injuries from it are still with me. I’ll keep them as mementos,” she said with a smile.
The technical team behind Mr X has been a talking point in its own right. Cinematographer Arul Vincent, who shot the film across three countries, described the production in blunt terms. “It looks stylish like a Hollywood film, but everyone here worked like grassroots laborers,” he said, recounting how all five elements came at the crew aggressively during the Azerbaijan shoot. He noted that many action sequences were captured in single takes and singled out Manju Warrier for performing her action scenes with remarkable ease.
Gautham Ram Karthik, who plays what Arya himself called the film’s most important character, shared an insight into the on-set dynamic. “Arya kept encouraging me, saying ‘do it, machan!’ That’s something others should learn. I’ll do the same for my co-actors in my future films.” He confirmed that 70% of Mr X is action, and all the female leads actually performed their own fight sequences. He credited stunt master Silva for designing fights tailored to each actor’s physique and called Dhibu Ninan Thomas’s background score “the entire soul” of the film.
Music composer Dhibu Ninan Thomas said he tried something entirely new with Mr X, pushing his background score work to what he called the next level. Editor Prasanna described the screenplay as real incidents from different time periods woven together into an engaging narrative. Raiza Wilson called the film politically correct, serious, and intellectual, while Anagha said working with Manju Warrier was a dream come true.
The spy thriller genre in Tamil cinema has seen a quiet resurgence recently, and Mr X arrives at a moment when audiences have shown a clear appetite for stories grounded in real events. With its large ensemble, international locations, and a director who has already demonstrated he can handle politically charged material with FIR, the film has the raw ingredients. Whether it delivers on that promise will become clear on April 17, but the confidence from the cast, particularly Arya’s willingness to redirect attention to his co-star and Sarathkumar’s unguarded praise, suggests they’ve seen something worth talking about.