Exclusive | Jailer 2: Vidya Balan to play Mithun Chakraborty's daughter in Rajini film

Vidya Balan will be making her Tamil debut with a full fledged role. The film is currently being shot in Chennai.

Recent reports had suggested that Vidya Balan will be sharing the screen with Rajinikanth (74) in Jailer 2. HT City has now confirmed the news; the 46-year-old will indeed be a part of the film, marking her full-fledged Tamil debut after a brief appearance in Nerkonda Paarvai (2019). The film has reportedly completed more than half of its shoot.

Vidya Balan will be seen in Jailer 2.

A reliable source from the production reveals, “Vidya plays the role of (actor) Mithun Chakraborty’s eldest daughter. Mithun is the leading antagonist in the film and will be seen alongside (actor) Rajinikanth sir.” The source further adds, “The film is currently being shot in Chennai and will move into post-production by January.” After wrapping up the Chennai schedule, the team will reportedly move to Goa for the remaining two months of shooting starting late October.

The makers of the Nelson Dilipkumar directorial are aiming for an August 2026 release. Attempts to reach Vidya and her team went unanswered but a representative from the film shared, “It’s too early to say anything.”

Vidya's last film outing

Vidya was last seen on the big screen in 2024 film Bhool Bhulaiyaa, in which she played the role of Mallika and Manjulika. The actor has spoken about not letting insecurities get to her be it professionally or personally.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she said,“I think I am shamelessly optimistic. I have so much self-belief. I have put myself out there at my biggest and not batted an eyelid. I’ve had people tell me I should work on myself, that I should shed weight. But I actually believe there is nothing wrong with me. And I think that is a great attitude because it helped me sail through. I was still playing the lead, so I don't think those kinds of insecurities have ever weighed me down," Vidya said.