The team behind upcoming romantic comedy Pookie gathered in Chennai on Saturday to share details ahead of its February 13 release. Produced by Vijay Antony Film Corporation and directed by debutant Ganesh Chandra, the Tamil-Telugu bilingual marks composer-actor Vijay Antony’s return to music after a notable gap and introduces Maargan actor Ajay Dhishan in his first lead role.
Vijay Antony, who serves as producer, music director and editor on the project, was generous in his praise for the team. “I first introduced Ganesh Chandra as a cinematographer, and today introducing him as a director brings me even more pride,” he said, adding that the director’s hard work was evident on screen. He singled out writer Puthiya Parithi as an important emerging voice. “Like in Malayalam cinema, writers in Tamil cinema deserve more recognition. After this film, Puthiya Parithi will go far.” Of his nephew and lead actor Ajay Dhishan, he added, “He is honest, hardworking, and above all a good human being. That is why he will become a great actor.”
Ganesh Chandra, a cinematographer whose credits include Salim, Jail, Kaari and Miss Match, described the shift to the director’s chair as surreal. “All these years I was behind the camera, only listening to someone else call action. Now for the first time, through Pookie, I am the one calling action and cut,” he said. He credited Vijay Antony’s relentless work ethic as inspiration and noted that the film was completed in just six months, with Zee acquiring the distribution rights.
Ajay Dhishan, who previously earned attention as the antagonist Tamilarivu in the 2025 thriller Maargan alongside Vijay Antony, called Pookie a deeply personal experience. “When I first read the script, I could tell it was crafted with great care and depth. The story is rooted in real experiences, and that moved me profoundly,” he said. He noted that co-star RK Dhanusha had become a close friend during the shoot and praised the entire team for working more like a family than a crew.
Actress Lakshmi Manchu, the Telugu star and daughter of veteran actor Mohan Babu, described the film as special and praised the debutant director as uniquely talented. “He knows exactly how to handle actors. Ajay worked with the dedication of an assistant director, and his talent surprised me,” she said. RK Dhanusha, making her debut as a lead heroine, thanked Vijay Antony for his faith in her. “The freedom and comfort the director and team gave me made it easy to perform,” she said, urging audiences to catch the film with friends and family on release day.
Writer Puthiya Parithi revealed that the script was never initially pitched as a film project. “Ganesh Chandra simply asked for something to read. Within two days of reading it, the film was confirmed. It felt like magic,” he said. He described Vijay Antony’s score as integral to the storytelling, noting that the music does not merely serve as background but actively replaces dialogue in several sequences, calling it the film’s greatest strength.
Pookie centres on a Gen-Z couple whose relationship spirals after a private argument is caught on camera and goes viral on social media. The ensemble cast also features veteran Tamil comedy actor Pandiarajan, Telugu actor Sunil, Bigg Boss fame Sathya, Ashwin Ram, Priyanka Masthani, and five-year-old Shanvika Shri. The film releases in cinemas worldwide on February 13.