Director C. Prem Kumar announced he is writing the sequel to his 2018 hit film "96" in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Kumar is currently staying in Kochi to continue writing the sequel. He also mentioned that he is working on another script for an adventure survival drama. While both projects are in development, he confirmed that the 96 sequels would be his next film.
"Currently I am writing the sequel of '96.' I've already written three-fourths of the script, so I am just continuing the writing," Kumar said.
"So I'm writing it now. So that's why I'm staying in Kochi for the writing process. So there is another script which is also cooking up. That's an adventure survival drama. So both are happening. Most probably '96' sequel will be my next movie," he added about the sequel.
During the interview, upon hearing about the sequel, host Anupama Chopra could not contain her excitement. She shared her emotional connection to the original film and even recalled directly asking Trisha about the characters' separation.
"Do you know how many sleepless nights I've had because Ram and Janu are not together? I'm sure there are many like me. When I met Trisha, I'm like, 'What was that? Why aren't you together?' She was like, 'This is not my thing,'" Chopra said.
Prem Kumar also shared a memorable encounter from where an elderly woman recognized him and, in a playful gesture, slapped him for leaving Ram and Jaanu separated."An old lady came to me. She said, 'Please come close to me.' I thought she's going to appreciate. She gave one thapad (she slapped). I got slapped. But it didn't pain," he said. "Why did you do this? Then she kissed me on the cheek."
The original 96, starring Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan, became a modern-day classic after its release in 2018. The film featured Gouri G. Kishan and Adithya Bhaskar as the younger versions of the leads. It centered on a reunion of the 1996 batch of a school, 22 years after graduation. The meeting gave Ram and Jaanu, former lovers, a chance to confront their unresolved past.
96 was both a critical and commercial success, praised for its themes of lost love and nostalgia. It remains one of Tamil cinema’s most cherished love stories.