Prime Video’s upcoming Tamil original web series “Vadhandhi Season 2: The Mystery of Mani”, produced by Pushkar-Gayathri under Wallwatcher Films and directed by Andrew Louis, will premiere on August 7. To promote the series, a press conference was held in Chennai.
The event, held at a star hotel in Chennai, was attended by lead actor Sasikumar, along with Yashwanth, Anagha Maruthora, Aparna Das, Vivek Prasanna, Revathi Sharma, Arjun Nandakumar, director Andrew Louis, producers Pushkar-Gayathri, music composer Simon K. King, and members of the Prime Video team.
Producers Pushkar & Gayathri said:
“This web series has turned out exceptionally well. We don’t want to praise it ourselves; we’d rather let the audience do that. When director Andrew Louis narrated the story of Moosa Raasa, a sincere police officer who firmly believes that not even a single innocent person should be punished, we instantly loved it. Once we heard that Sasikumar would be playing the role, it felt as though the character had been written specifically for him.
Many talented newcomers have been introduced through this series. As always, Amazon Prime Video extended tremendous support, and we are confident that this series will appeal to audiences across all sections.
Even while writing Vadhandhi Season 1, Andrew already had the idea for Season 2. He wanted Season 1 to revolve around one crime in one village, while Season 2 would explore an entirely different crime set against the backdrop of Madurai. That itself was a pleasant surprise for us.
Although Andrew is not from Madurai, he stayed there for several months, interacted with the local people, observed their lifestyles and mannerisms, and only then finalized the screenplay. His attention to detail allows viewers to naturally travel with the character of Moosa Raasa.
Once the character was completed and Andrew suggested approaching Sasikumar for the role, we were thrilled. We have admired Sasikumar ever since we celebrated watching the first-day first show of Subramaniapuram, and we had always wanted to collaborate with him.
When you hear ‘Madurai’ and ‘Sasikumar,’ you naturally expect sickles, knives, bloodshed, and violence. But if you spend even a few minutes with Sasikumar, you’ll realize why he is perfect for Moosa Raasa. He is calm, humble, kind, and soft-spoken.
Every aspect of the project—from the story and characters to the music—continued to surprise and delight us.
Andrew took considerable time to write Season 2. This is actually the third story he completed before finalizing it, which is why the second season is arriving four years after the first.”
Director Andrew Louis said:
“Vadhandhi Season 1 was an organic success. Naturally, expectations for Season 2 are much higher.
Lifting a stone when no one is watching isn’t difficult; lifting it when everyone is watching is the real challenge. Directing Season 2 under huge expectations is a much bigger challenge than directing Season 1.
Before presenting the script to Prime Video, I first shared it with Pushkar and Gayathri. They constantly encouraged me to keep adding fresh ideas and improving the screenplay. Once I completed the script, I focused entirely on bringing it to life, while they took care of everything else behind the scenes. I sincerely thank them for that.
The shoot demanded the scale of almost three feature films. Everyone involved gave their wholehearted support.
Although viewers will simply immerse themselves in the story, creating that world required a continuous 43-day shoot across Madurai, Karaikudi, Ramanathapuram, and Tiruchirappalli, with the team often working nearly 18 hours a day. Everyone believed this series would turn out well, and I thank them all.
I also thank S. J. Suryah, whose unforgettable performance in Season 1 played a major role in its success.
When I first narrated the story to Sasikumar in Madurai, the screenplay wasn’t even complete. He immediately agreed to do the project and asked me to return after completing the script. Once he came on board, I rewrote Moosa Raasa with him in mind. That became one of the biggest differences between Seasons 1 and 2.
Simon K. King deserves special appreciation. His music doesn’t merely accompany the story—it tells the story itself. Even if I close my eyes while watching the series, the music narrates everything beautifully.”
Sasikumar said:
“Andrew met me in Madurai and narrated the story. After hearing the title ‘The Mystery of Mani,’ I assumed I would be playing Mani. Since the story was set in Madurai, I imagined it would be another rowdy role similar to the ones I’ve played before.
I’ve acted in over 30 films, but surprisingly no one had imagined me as a police officer. I repeatedly asked Andrew whether I was playing Mani or the police officer Moosa Raasa. He confirmed that I would be playing Moosa Raasa.
The reason the character has become so strong is entirely due to Andrew’s hard work.
Initially, I thought I should walk and behave like a typical heroic police officer. But Andrew insisted that Moosa Raasa should remain completely natural—a simple police officer from Madurai.
The story is about a police officer fighting to save an innocent man. Unlike most investigative thrillers where the audience is eager to discover the criminal, here the audience will be anxious for the police to find the real culprit and rescue the innocent man.
Although Season 1 starring S. J. Suryah was a huge success, Season 2 has no direct connection to it. It offers a fresh story altogether.
I struggled quite a bit while portraying this character. Even if I smiled slightly during filming, Andrew would remind me that Moosa Raasa wouldn’t smile. It took me a couple of days to adapt, after which I simply followed everything the director instructed.”
Vivek Prasanna said:
“When you’re working with your dream producers and dream director, acting comes naturally. Everything is already there on paper. All we need to do is execute what the director asks.
Working with Pushkar and Gayathri is always a joy because they genuinely care for everyone on set.
In my opinion, Andrew is one of India’s finest writers. I enjoy reading his scripts immensely. Interestingly, he deliberately withheld the script for Episode 8 until the day before filming to preserve the suspense.
There are enormous expectations for Season 2, and I believe it will exceed them.”
Yashwanth said:
“the producers treated newcomers like me with great respect and guided us throughout the process. Andrew didn’t just give me an opportunity—he changed my life.
He entrusted me with a significant role and gave me tremendous creative freedom, which is rare for a newcomer. I also had the opportunity to sing a song in the series, and I’m grateful to composer Simon K. King for that.”
Aparna Das said:
“After Dada, I was waiting for another meaningful Tamil project. When Andrew narrated this story, I immediately loved it.
Among all the roles I’ve played, Sumaiya is one of the most unique, interesting, and memorable characters. My experience on the sets will always remain special.
Ever since watching the song ‘Kangal Irandaal’, I’ve admired Sasikumar. In Kerala too, he has a huge fan following. Acting alongside him had been my dream, and this project fulfilled it.
I hope audiences shower even more love on Season 2 than they did on Season 1.”
Anagha Maruthora said:
“I thank Andrew for trusting me with the role of Leelavathi. Initially, I was hesitant to accept it, but after he explained the character in detail, I realized how important it was.
Working with Pushkar and Gayathri always feels like being part of a second family.
After Garudan, this is my second project with Sasikumar, which made me very happy.”
Composer Simon K. King said:
“For me, the subtitle beneath each season was the key. Season 1 had ‘The Fable of Velonie’, while Season 2 has ‘The Mystery of Mani’. That subtitle itself shaped my musical approach.
The landscapes and stories of the two seasons are completely different, so naturally the music is different too.
Both seasons are deeply rooted in human emotions, and that’s what our music reflects.
Unlike Season 1, which had no songs, Season 2 features two songs, which audiences will surely enjoy. We are also introducing lyricist Mani Romeo through this series.”
“Vadhandhi Season 2: The Mystery of Mani” premieres on Prime Video on August 7 in Tamil. It will also stream in dubbed Telugu and Hindi, with subtitles in more than 15 languages, reaching audiences in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
