Murali Vijay and Darren Sammy set to be part of a Tamil movie

In what should be an interesting development, Indian batsman Murali Vijay has signed up to be part of a Tamil movie alongside erstwhile West Indies captain Darren Sammy. Times of India reported the duo participating in a promo song for ‘Kaarthi 77’ which will be directed by John Albert, co-director of blockbusters such as Singham and Saamy.

Domestic all-rounder Thalaivan Sargunam who represented Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL is set to play the lead role in the upcoming film. He got acquainted with Sammy during the 2013 season while the Chennai-born Vijay has been his childhood friend.

Currently playing for Chepauk Super Gillies in the TNPL, Sargunam said, “Vijay is a childhood friend of mine and we both go back a long way. Sammy, too, has been friends with me since my stint with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Not only are the two great players on the field, but they are lovely human beings off it. When I asked them to be part of the movie, they both agreed.”

While Vijay has established himself as one of the best Test openers currently, Sammy was recently sacked from Twenty-20 captaincy after he had led West Indies to their second World T20 title which would make their combination unique.

On the involvement of cricket in the film, Sargunam quipped, “Cinema and cricket have always interested me from a young age. I wanted to be part of a movie which had substance. I definitely see this movie reaching wider audiences. It will have its share of cricket which would take about 10-15 minutes of the running time. The movie has a beautiful subject which I wouldn't want to reveal at this point of time. We are in talks with famous artists to play various characters. We are looking for a right producer at this point of time.”

When asked about his future plans, he insisted, “I would continue playing the shortest format of the game, Twenty20s. I would be playing the TNPL and if I get a chance, even represent a franchise in the IPL. I am confident of managing my film career and my cricket commitments.”

However, Sammy will not be the first West Indies cricketer to star in a Tamil movie. In fact, his team-mate Dwayne Bravo had acted in a promo for ‘Ula’, another Kollywood film during 2014.