Vijay Sethupathi recalls with gratitude how director Arumugakumar batted for him when he was a nobody!

Participating in a pre-release press conference called by the unit of 'Ace', actor Vijay Sethupathi said, "When I first went looking for an opportunity in a film, I went to audition for a film called 'Varnam'. My photo had been given to the makers of that film by a manager called Bhoopathy. When I went there, they told me what the scene was and asked me to write my dialogues myself and act.

"That was where I realised even I could write dialogues. I bought some hair gel from a shop nearby, applied it on my hair and delivered my lines comfortably as I had written them myself. The director of this film Aarumugakumar was the one who recommended my name to the makers of that film, saying, 'This person's acting is good. Pick him.'

"Aarumugakumar and I did not know each other then. However, he was the one who strongly recommended my name and ensured that I got that opportunity. I am thankful to him for that," Sethupathi said.

Again while I was doing Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kanom, I was not the first option for that role. I got to know from director Prem, who directed the cult classic '96', that it was Aaru who strongly recommended my name for the role. Aaru had told them, "Please watch his audition and then reject him. Do not reject him without giving him an opportunity to audition." I am thankful to him for both these opportunities."

Sethupathi, who is now one of India's top actors, went on to say, "Help that comes at a time when you are doing well is one thing. But help that comes your way when you yourself don't know who you are is invaluable. It is like lighting a lamp in a house filled with darkness. Aarumugakumar was the man who lit that lamp that day. So, my heartfelt thanks go to him."

The actor further went on to say, "Also, when my father was on his death bed worried if I would ever make it as an actor, the picture that I showed him to convince him that I had made it as an actor was a picture that was shot on the sets of 'Varnam'. It helped him ease his mind about my future," said Sethupathi.

Ace, which has been directed by Aarumugakumar, features Vijay Sethupathi, Yogi Babu and Rukmini Vasanth in the lead. The film, which has been predominantly shot in Malaysia, is slated to hit screens on May 23.