Ahead of the re-release of the Tamil blockbuster Padayappa on December 12, superstar Rajinikanth has revealed that his original choice for the iconic antagonist Neelambari was Aishwarya Rai. The actor made the remark in a newly released video titled The Return of Padayappa , which has been shared as part of celebrations marking his 75th birthday.

Rajinikanth recounted several behind-the-scenes details from the film’s making, including the difficulty of casting the powerful Neelambari role.

“Whenever I thought of the character Neelambari , Aishwarya Rai was the only person who came to mind. I felt she would be perfect for the role and hoped she would take it up,” he said. According to him, the team tried for nearly three months to secure her dates, even reaching out through he

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