Throwback: When director Shankar approached THIS superstar for Mudhalvan before Arjun Sarja

Mudhalvan is a cult classic Tamil film and one of Shankar’s most prestigious projects. However, the casting for the main lead was not a smooth process. Read all about it here!

By Pavaman Suraj

Published on Feb 18, 2025 | 08:53 PM IST | 29.8K

Throwback: When director Shankar approached THIS actor for Mudhalvan before Arjun Sarja (PC: Shankar, X/IMDb)

During the 1990s, Shankar was at the peak of his career and the most sought-after director in the Tamil film industry. Almost every actor, including Thalapathy Vijay and Rajinikanth, was eager to collaborate with the visionary filmmaker.

However, while casting for the lead role in Mudhalvan, Shankar faced multiple rejections before eventually selecting Arjun Sarja to play the protagonist.

As per a report by News18, Shankar’s first choice for the role of Pugazh in Mudhalvan was none other than Thalapathy Vijay. In an old interview, Shankar revealed that he had initially approached Vijay for the role through an associate who contacted the actor’s father, S. A. Chandrasekhar. However, due to scheduling conflicts, discussions fell through.

There were also reports suggesting that differences over Vijay’s remuneration played a part in the decision. Additionally, it was later revealed that Chandrasekhar was displeased that Shankar had not approached him directly but had instead discussed the project through an associate.

Following this, Shankar approached Superstar Rajinikanth for the role of Pugazh. While Rajinikanth was impressed with the script, he requested the director to wait a few years before making the film. However, Shankar was unwilling to delay the project, leading him to cast Arjun Sarja, his Gentleman lead, in the role.

Mudhalvan was eventually filmed with Arjun Sarja in the lead, alongside Manisha Koirala and Raghuvaran. The film became a massive box-office success and is regarded as one of Shankar’s most critically and commercially acclaimed projects.

The movie revolved around the simple yet powerful premise of a one-day Chief Minister, exposing corruption and scandals within society. Shankar expertly highlighted various socio-political issues through an engaging commercial film.

Mudhalvan was produced by S. Shankar, A. M. Rathnam, and R. Madesh. The film’s soundtrack was composed by A. R. Rahman, with cinematography by K. V. Anand and editing by V. T. Vijayan and B. Lenin.