Chennai, Jan 5 (IANS): Veteran filmmaker P. Vasu has returned to Tamil filmdom after a gap of five years with horror-comedy "Shivalinga", an eponymous remake of his own Kannada film. He says helming a remake can be very challenging.

"There's a misconception that remakes are easy to make. People assume that remakes work by merely reprising the same set of scenes in a different language with different actors. But remakes can be quite challenging. Sometimes, a remake requires more effort than the original," Vasu told IANS.

His "Shivalinga" stars Raghava Lawrence and Ritika Singh, and it's gearing up for January 26 release.

Talking about the film, he said: "I have made enough changes in the script to suit the sensibility of Tamil audiences. Even though the core remains the same, we've made the Tamil version even more entertaining by bringing in Vadivelu."

Vasu's son Sakthi has played a pivotal role in the film.

Explaining the changes he made in the remake, Vasu said: "In the original, my son's role was underplayed as he shared the screen space with superstar Shivrajkumar. When Lawrence saw the film, he insisted that I extend my son's role as he felt it would work wonders in the Tamil version. He also suggested that we make the film on a grander scale," he said.

The 62-year-old is all praise for his heroine Ritika Singh, who made a stunning acting debut with last year's sports-drama "Irudhi Suttru".

"She is not the regular heroine. I can assure that her performance will be much talked about. Since she's a wonderful performer, I had a bigger responsibility of using her talent wisely," he added.

In the film, a pigeon plays a special role.

"When you watch the film, you will realise the importance of the pigeon's character. We had to obtain special permission from Animal Welfare Board to shoot scenes with the bird," Vasu said.

Lawrence, for the first time in his career, will be seen as a police officer.