'I called you,' Vikram on Anurag Kashyap's remark that he 'never responded' to 'Kennedy' casting
Chennai/Cannes, May 22: South star Vikram on Monday said he called Anurag Kashyap "immediately" after he came to know the filmmaker had tried to contact him him for "Kennedy".
In a recent interview with news outlet Film Companion, Kashyap said that Vikram, whose real name is Kennedy John Victor, was his first choice to play the titular assassin in his latest film, but the actor "never responded".
In a lengthy Twitter note to the filmmaker, Vikram said he called Kashyap immediately after he got to know that the director was trying to get in touch with him for a project.
"Dear @anuragkashyap72... Just revisiting our conversation from over a year ago for the sake of our friends and well wishers on social media.
"When I heard from another actor that you had tried to reach me for this film & that you felt I hadn't responded to you, I called you myself immediately and explained that I hadn't gotten any mail or msg from you as the mail id that you had contacted me on was no longer active and my number had changed almost 2 years before that," the "Ponniyin Selvan" star wrote.
Vikram then wished the filmmaker "great times ahead" and said he is excited about the movie as it has his name.
"As I said during that phone call, I'm very excited for your film Kennedy and even more so because it has my name. I wish you great times ahead. Lots of love. Chiyaan Vikram aka Kennedy," he added.
Kashyap, currently attending the Cannes Film Festival where "Kennedy" is set to premiere under the Midnight Screenings section, went on to cast Rahul Bhat as the lead.
"I actually had a specific actor in mind when I wrote this film... The film was called Kennedy Project. It is Chiyaan Vikram. Chiyaan Vikram's real name is Kennedy. I reached out to him. He never responded. So then, I reached out to Rahul," the filmmaker told the news website.
"Kennedy" is a noirish thriller which follows the titular character working for a corrupt police force with scores to settle. The film also features Sunny Leone.
Dear @anuragkashyap72 ,
— Vikram (@chiyaan) May 22, 2023
Just revisiting our conversation from over a year ago for the sake of our friends and well wishers on social media. When I heard from another actor that you had tried to reach me for this film & that you felt I hadn’t responded to you, I called you myself…
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Delhi-bound Air India flight carrying MPs diverted due to snag, Venugopal says it was 'harrowing'
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader and Chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee K C Venugopal has claimed that an Air India flight carrying him and several other MPs from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi "came frighteningly close to tragedy".
In a statement, the airline said that Air India flight AI2455, flying from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, was diverted to Chennai on Sunday evening due to a technical issue.
In a post on X on Sunday night, Venugopal said, "Air India flight AI 2455 from Trivandrum to Delhi -- carrying myself, several MPs and hundreds of passengers -- came frighteningly close to tragedy today."
"What began as a delayed departure turned into a harrowing journey. Shortly after take-off, we were hit by unprecedented turbulence. About an hour later, the Captain announced a flight signal fault and diverted to Chennai...
"For nearly two hours, we circled the airport awaiting clearance to land, until a heart-stopping moment during our first attempt -- another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway. In that split second, the Captain's quick decision to pull up saved every life on board. The flight landed safely on the second attempt," he said.
"We were saved by skill and luck. Passenger safety cannot depend on luck. I urge @DGCAIndia and @MoCA_GoI to investigate this incident urgently, fix accountability, and ensure such lapses never happen again," the Congress leader wrote.
Responding to Venugopal on X, Air India said, "We would like to clarify that the diversion to Chennai was precautionary due to a suspected technical issue and poor weather conditions."
"A go-around was instructed by Chennai ATC (air traffic control) during the first attempted landing at Chennai airport, not because of the presence of another aircraft on the runway ... Our pilots are well-trained to handle such situations, and in this case, they followed standard procedures throughout the flight," Air India claimed.
"We understand that such an experience can be unsettling and regret the inconvenience the diversion may have caused to you. However, safety is always our priority," the airline added.
The flight AI2455, operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft, was airborne for more than two hours, according to information available on the flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
"The flight crew of AI2455 operating from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi on August 10 made a precautionary diversion to Chennai due to a suspected technical issue and given the weather conditions en route," the airline said in a statement earlier.
Air India said the flight landed safely in Chennai, where the aircraft will undergo the necessary checks.
Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to their destinations at the earliest, Air India said, and regretted the inconvenience caused.
Details about the number of passengers were not available.
The flight took off a little past 8 pm from Thiruvananthapuram and landed in Chennai at around 10.35 pm, according to Flightradar24.com.
In recent weeks, there have been instances of Air India's aircraft facing technical snags.
