Shruti Haasan replaced Samantha Ruth Prabhu as the lead in the Indo-UK film Chennai Story. Samantha was earlier signed to play the lead in the film, but the role eventually went to Shruti after Samantha took a break from work due to her pregnancy. The project is based on Timeri N Murari’s novel The Arrangements of Love. Chennai Story is written and directed by BAFTA-winning filmmaker Philip John, known for Downton Abbey. The film follows Anu, a private detective from Chennai, and explores themes of love, self-expression and acceptance. The story is set across Chennai and Cardiff and is predominantly in English, with Tamil and Welsh also featuring in the film.
Shruti stepped into the project after Samantha had taken a break from acting. The film has an international cast, with Viveik Kalra joining Shruti in the lead. Kevin Hart, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jean Reno and Sam Worthington are also associated with the project. The film is produced by Sunitha Tati’s Guru Films along with Ripple World Pictures and ie ie Productions, with support from the British Film Institute’s UK Global Screen Fund.