Director Lingusamy shares interesting memories of how two of his biggest hits, ‘Run’ and ‘Sandakozhi,’ were once considered for Thalapathy Vijay. Speaking ahead of the release of ‘Run,’ the filmmaker recalled the discussions he had: Vijay: and explained why the actor ultimately chose not to take up any project. His candid recollections give fans a fresh look at the decisions that shaped their careers in the early 2000s.
Lingusamy reveals why Vijay left projects
Speaking to Cinema Vikatan, Lingusamy said Vijay was initially approached for ‘Run,’ but the project did not go ahead after discussions with the actor’s father, SA Chandrasekhar. “SAC sir heard the story and felt that it was a love story mixed with action. After Thamizhan, he believed that Vijay’s image would grow and felt that chasing a single hero throughout the film would not suit him. So the project never materialised, though we later collaborated on the ‘Ghilli’ remake,” recalls 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 with 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 first-half narration, Vijay was very excited. But when I introduced the character of the father, he told me, ‘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 in person during the success celebrations. “‘Anna, pichitinga na… padam super-ah irundhuchu,’ (Brother, are you crazy? The movie is so good! ) he told me. I replied, ‘You didn’t listen to the complete second half.’ Vijay then smiled and said, ‘Someone like Vishal should enter the industry. This film was perfect for him,” recalls Lingusamy.
The director praised Vijay’s clarity in choosing commercial entertainers
Lingusamy also appreciates Vijay’s conviction in choosing scripts that suit his career path. 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 heard of ‘Vettai’ but decided against it after listening to the later 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 of Tamil cinema. The director’s reflections have now sparked fresh discussions among fans about blockbuster collaborations that almost happened but never made it to the screen.