Why Rajinikanth turned down Baasha 2 and Petta 2 but returned for Jailer 2

Rajinikanth is all set to return to his popular role as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian in Jailer 2, the upcoming sequel to his 2023 film. While the actor has mostly remained cautious about revisiting successful films, the actor recently revealed why he agreed to do director Nelson Dilipkumar's action drama.

Speaking at the film's pre-release event, Jailer 2 Super Show, the veteran actor revealed that he had earlier declined proposals for Baasha 2 and Petta 2.

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Why Rajinikanth rejected Baasha 2 and Petta 2

Despite the popularity of his earlier films, Rajinikanth has not always been enthusiastic about continuing their stories through sequels.

"I am generally not keen on sequels because I feel they take the first part and add a little extra flavour and turn it into another film," he said. “I was approached for Baasha 2, and Karthik Subbaraj also came to me for a proposal for Petta 2 which would have extended Vijay Sethupathi's character. But I wasn't interested in either sequel."

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Why did Rajinikanth say yes to Jailer 2?

Recalling the moment that convinced him, Rajinikanth said, “After Jailer was released on OTT, I watched the movie again. Towards the end, when I was about to end Varma’s character, he says there’s a bigger network and that they wouldn’t spare him either. So, the story was perfect for a sequel.”

The ending suggested that Varma was connected to a much larger criminal network, leaving Tiger Muthuvel Pandian with a potentially bigger battle ahead.

Another unresolved element involved three containers reportedly worth thousands of crores.

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About Jailer 2

Written and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, Jailer 2 will see Rajinikanth return as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian. The film is produced by Kalanithi Maran under the Sun Pictures banner and follows the 2023 action drama.

The cast features Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu, Mirnaa and Rithvik in key roles. SJ Suryah, Mithun Chakraborty, Vidya Balan, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Anna Rajan and Jatin Sarna are also joining the sequel.

Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar and Jackie Shroff are also expected to appear in special roles, while Anirudh Ravichander returns as the music composer.

The film is set to release in theatres on October 15.