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Rajinikanth Reveals: Why He Wanted Aishwarya Rai for Padayappa's Neelambari

Rajinikanth just shared some fascinating behind-the-scenes secrets about the classic film 'Padayappa'. He admits he originally pictured Aishwarya Rai in the powerful role of Neelambari and even tried to get her on board for months. When that didn't work out, it was director Ravikumar who suggested Ramya Krishnan, and the rest is history. Now, Rajinikanth is even teasing a potential sequel that would continue Neelambari's story.

Key Points: Rajinikanth Wanted Aishwarya Rai for Padayappa Neelambari Role

  • Rajinikanth reveals he pursued Aishwarya Rai for the iconic role for three months
  • The team was willing to wait a year if she showed interest in the part
  • Director K S Ravikumar ultimately suggested Ramya Krishnan, who earned critical acclaim
  • Rajinikanth confirms he is now developing a sequel titled 'Neelambari - Padayappa 2'
3 min read

I thought Aishwarya Rai was correct for the role of Neelambari in 'Padayappa', says Rajinikanth

Superstar Rajinikanth reveals he initially envisioned Aishwarya Rai as Neelambari in 'Padayappa' and discusses plans for a sequel, 'Neelambari - Padayappa 2'.

"Whenever I thought of the Neelambari character, I would remember Aishwarya Rai. - Rajinikanth"

Chennai, Dec 9

Superstar Rajinikanth has now disclosed that he initially had wanted actress Aishwarya Rai to play the powerful role of Neelambari in his superhit film 'Padayappa', which is now all set to re-release on December 12.

Rajinikanth made this disclosure in a video clip titled 'The Return of Padayappa' that was released ahead of the re-release of the film. For the unaware, Rajinikanth's blockbuster film 'Padayappa' is to be re-released on December 12 to mark his 75th birthday.

In the video clip that was released, Rajinikanth disclosed several interesting details about the film, not known until now.

The Superstar said,"Whenever I thought of the Neelambari character, I would remember Aishwarya Rai. I thought Aishwarya Rai was correct for this role and that she should do the role. We tried for almost three months to get her dates for this role. We even tried to reach her through her relatives. If she had said the role was good and that we needed to wait, we would have even waited for her for a year. That was because that character would have to click. Else, the film would not work. It was later we realised that she was not interested in this role."

The actor also disclosed that when they had to look for another person for the role, he had pointed out to director Ravikumar that if this film had to work, the role of Neelambari had to be powerful. Rajinikanth said that several suggestions were made but he was unable to find a person with powerful eyes.

"I had told Ravikumar that if we can't find the right person with powerful eyes for this role, we will put the project on hold," Rajinikanth recalled. The Superstar then said that it was director K S Ravikumar who suggested Ramya Krishnan's name and she came on board the project.

For the unaware, Ramya Krishnan's performance as Neelamabari in the film came in for a lot of critical acclaim and her popularity soared after the film.

Rajinikanth also said in the video clip that he was now discussing a story to make a sequel of 'Padayappa'.

"As far as I know in my 50 years in the film industry, the first time women broke open the gates of a theatre to watch a film was 'Padayappa'. Now, if you see in recent times, we have '2.0', 'Jailer 2'. It suddenly occurred to me, why not do a second part to 'Padayappa'. Anyway, Neelambari (played by Ramya Krishnan) has told in the first part that 'I will at least take revenge in the next birth.' So, the title will be 'Neelambari - Padayappa 2'. If the film comes out well, then it will be another film like Padayappa and will provide a celebration for fans like what one witnesses in a festival."

In the video clip, Rajinikanth also disclosed that he was the actual producer of the film and that he had come up with the story of the film as well.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Aishwarya Rai would have been a huge star cast, no doubt. But Ramya Krishnan *was* Neelambari. Her performance is legendary in Tamil cinema. Rajini sir's instinct to wait for the right person with "powerful eyes" shows his dedication to the craft. Excited for the re-release!
M
Michael C
As someone who discovered Padayappa much later, this is fascinating behind-the-scenes info. The sequel idea "Neelambari - Padayappa 2" sounds intriguing, but I hope they don't just rely on nostalgia. The original is a classic for a reason.
S
Suresh O
Thalaivar's birthday treat for fans! 🎉 Can't wait to watch it on the big screen again. The fact that he was the actual producer and came up with the story... man is a legend. But respectfully, a sequel after all these years? Hope it lives up to the original magic.
A
Ananya R
"Women broke open the gates of a theatre" – that line gave me goosebumps! It shows the massive impact of the film. Ramya Krishnan's Neelambari was such a complex, strong female character, rare for that time. Aishwarya is beautiful, but Ramya brought a certain fire that was perfect.
K
Karthik V
Interesting to think about the "what if". Aishwarya Rai in a full-fledged negative role in a Tamil film back then? Might have been huge too. But destiny had other plans. Ramya Krishnan made that role her own and it launched her to new heights. Wishing Thalaivar a happy 75th!

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