Israel has alerted its troops for a potential entry into Lebanon after Hezbollah targeted Tel Aviv with missiles. The US and France are advocating for a 21-day ceasefire to reduce escalating tensions. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has appealed to the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire, citing Israeli violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Superstar Rajinikanth and versatile actor Vijay Sethupathi shared screenspace in the 2019 film Petta. During the audio launch event of the film in 2018, Thalaivar heaped praise on his co-star, who played the antagonist in the movie. Rajinikanth shared that Vijay Sethupathi is no ordinary talent, and he’s glad the latter worked with him on the project.
Thalaivar said, “I wasn’t quite sure who would be perfect for the role of Jithu. Karthik suggested Vijay Sethupathi, and I’m glad he agreed to be part of the project. He’s no ordinary talent. I’ve seen his films, and he is an extraordinary actor. After a long time, I felt like I worked with a good actor.”
Vijay Sethupathi was on cloud nine after Rajinikanth praised him for his acting skills. In the past, the actor has confessed that he has always been a huge fan of Thalaivar. In one of his earlier interviews, he even called the Jailer actor “the university of acting.”
For the uninitiated, the movie directed by Karthik Subbaraj was released in 2019 during the festival of Pongal. While Thalaivar played the role of Kaali in the film, Vijay Sethupathi portrayed the character of Jithu. Nawazuddin Siddiqui was also a part of this ambitious project alongside Trisha Krishnan and Malavika Mohanan.
Talking about Petta, the film revolves around the life of Kaali, who is hired as a hostel warden. As the story progresses, people understand that Kaali is not some ordinary warden but is someone far greater than that.
Soon after, his past starts to catch up with him, and he embarks on a war against his former enemy named Singaar Singh to settle his old scores once and for all.
The film received positive responses from the audiences following its release. Reportedly, the film grossed around Rs 250 crore against a budget of Rs 160 crore, making it a blockbuster hit in 2019.
ALSO READ: 5 Best Vijay Sethupathi Movies to watch in 2024: From Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s Super Deluxe to Vignesh Shivan’s Naanum Rowdy Dhaan
Israel’s army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, told a tank brigade that they are “attacking” Lebanon to prepare the ground for the possibility of their entry into Lebanon, according to a statement on Wednesday,
The Israeli military said it hit more than 2,000 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over the past three days.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel’s military operations against Hezbollah would not stop until northern residents displaced by cross-border clashes could safely return to their homes.
Israel’s warnings came after Hezbollah said it had targeted Israel’s Mossad spy agency headquarters on Tel Aviv’s outskirts — the first time it has fired a ballistic missile in almost a year of cross-border clashes sparked by the Gaza war.
Israel’s close ally, the United States, said it did not think Israeli troops’ ground operation in Lebanon is “imminent”. “It doesn’t look like something is imminent,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.
US President Joe Biden, however, warned of the possibility of “all-out war” in the Middle East. “An all-out war is possible,” he told a news channel.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and warned, “Hell is breaking loose.”
Iran, Hezbollah’s main backer, condemned Israel’s raids and said the Middle East was facing a “full-scale catastrophe”. It also warned that Tehran would back Lebanon by “all means” if Israel escalated its offensive.
India has issued an advisory “strongly” urging Indians against travelling to Lebanon till further notice. The Indian Embassy in Beirut also advised the Indian nationals residing in Lebanon to leave the country and further advised the people to exercise “extreme caution”.
Israel and Hezbollah members have been fighting across the Lebanese border after the war in Gaza erupted when Hamas, a Hezbollah ally also backed by Iran, attacked Israeli towns on October 7 last year.