Vidya Balan recalls panicking before Rajinikanth on Jailer 2 set, Nelson Dilipkumar says, ‘her hands were shaking, voice trembling’

Vidya Balan revealed that she was nervous while filming a cigarette-smoking scene with Rajinikanth in Jailer 2.

Bollywood actor Vidya Balan is all set to make her Tamil debut opposite Rajinikanth in Jailer 2. Vidya, along with director Nelson Dilipkumar and the film's other cast members, recently attended a promotional event where she recalled getting nervous while shooting a scene with Rajinikanth.

Vidya Balan panicked in front of Rajinikanth

Vidya Balan in a still from Jailer 2.

At the Jailer 2 Super Show, Vidya was joined by her co-stars Ramya Krishnan, SJ Suryah and Suraj Venjaramoodu. During the conversation, Suryah joked that Vidya struggled with lengthy Tamil dialogues. Vidya added that she would not speak to anyone until she had finished her shot. Once it was over, however, she would chat with everyone in a relaxed manner.

Vidya then recalled how Nelson once improvised a scene for her that required her to smoke a cigarette. She said, "One day, right before the shoot, he gave me one and a half pages of (new) dialogues. I stood there, wondering how I was going to do it, given that I also had to smoke a cigarette while delivering the lines."

Vidya added that although she had worked with several superstars before, Jailer 2 marked her first film with Rajinikanth. She recalled that when she began to panic about smoking the cigarette, her whole body started trembling. She also revealed that she began smoking before going on set to get comfortable with it before filming the scenes.

Vidya plays Kaantha in Jailer 2. In the first glimpse of her character, she is seen descending a staircase in a commanding manner, dressed in a blue sari and holding a cigarette. In a tense moment, she faces off against someone and blows out smoke as she looks on.

About Jailer 2

Written and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, Jailer 2 is produced by Kalanithi Maran under the banner of Sun Pictures. The film is a sequel to the 2023 release Jailer, which starred Rajinikanth and Ramya Krishnan in lead roles. The second instalment will see them reprise their roles as husband and wife, ‘Tiger’ Muthuvel Pandian and Vijaya Pandian. Yogi Babu, Mirnaa and Rithvik will also return to their respective roles.

Jailer follows Muthuvel Pandian, a former jailer who sets out to avenge his family and protect them after his son, a police officer, goes missing while investigating a ruthless idol smuggler. When he feels the police force has failed to do enough to help his son, Muthuvel returns to his old ways. The film ends with a twist and a showdown, leaving Muthuvel heartbroken and facing a difficult choice.

The sequel is expected to continue the story from where the first film ended. Jailer was a commercial success, collecting ₹604 crore worldwide at the box office. Fans are now eagerly awaiting the next instalment.