Director Lingusamy has shared interesting memories of how two of his biggest hits ‘Run’ and ‘Sandakozhi’ were once considered by Thalapathy Vijay. Speaking before the re-release of ‘Run’, the filmmaker recalled the discussions he had with Vijay and explained why the actor ultimately chose not to take up any projects. Their candid recollections have given fans new insight into the decisions that shaped their careers in the early 2000s.
Lingusamy reveals why Vijay walked away from projects
Speaking to Cinema Vikatan, Lingusamy said that Vijay was initially approached for ‘Run’ but the project did not move forward after talks with the actor’s father SA Chandrasekhar. “SAC sir heard the story and felt it was a love story mixed with action. After Thamizhan, he felt that Vijay’s image would become bigger and felt that chasing a heroine throughout the film would not appeal to him. So the project didn’t happen, though we later worked together on the remake of ‘Ghilli’,” recalled Lingusamy. He added that Vijay also listened to ‘Sandakozhi’ with great interest before deciding against it.
Vijay praised ‘Sandakozhi’ after seeing its success
Sharing another memorable incident, Lingusamy revealed that Vijay was very impressed by the first half of ‘Sandakozhi’, especially the interval sequence, but changed his mind after hearing the father’s character and the rest of the story. “After the narration of the first half, Vijay was very excited. But once I introduced the father’s character, he said, ‘Anna, venam na’. He felt the film was not right for him,” said the director. However, after the film became a blockbuster, Vijay met Lingusamy personally during the success celebrations. “‘Anna, pichitinga na… padam super-ah irundhuchu,’ (Brother, have you gone mad? The movie was magnificent! ) he told me. I replied, “You never heard the full second half.” Vijay then smiled and said, “Someone like Vishal had to enter the industry. This film was perfect for him,” Lingusamy recalled.
The director praises Vijay’s clarity in choosing commercial entertainers
Lingusamy also appreciated Vijay’s conviction in selecting scripts that suit his career trajectory. According to the filmmaker, Vijay always had a clear understanding of the kind of films he wanted to make. He revealed that the actor had also listened to ‘Vettai’ but decided against it after hearing the last part of the story. Looking back, Lingusamy said Vijay remained committed to commercial entertainers throughout his career, a strategy that eventually helped him become one of the biggest stars in Tamil cinema. The director’s musings have now sparked fresh discussions among fans about the blockbuster collaborations that almost happened but never made it to the screen.