Rajinikanth’s Padayappa Re-release: Aishwarya Rai Turned Down Neelambari Role
Rajinikanth’s 1999 hit Padayappa returns to theatres. He reveals Aishwarya Rai was first choice for Neelambari and confirms Padayappa 2.
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The film that marked a significant point in Tamil cinema, Padayappa, in which Rajinikanth played a lead role, will be re-released in theatres to celebrate the superstar’s birthday. Before that, Rajinikanth revealed some stories from the film’s production, and among them was a shocking one about the casting of the famous villain Neelambari.
In a video recently released, Rajinikanth told that he had initially wanted Aishwarya Rai to play Neelambari, not Ramya Krishnan. “After going through a lot of troubles, we contacted Aishwarya Rai because the character needed a special kind of presence. If I had to, I was ready to wait for two to three years for her,” the actor said. But he also said that Aishwarya turned down the role because she was not interested.
The superstar further stated that other top actresses such as Sridevi and Madhuri were also considered for Neelambari. “The part called for a certain intensity and the character’s arrogance should be visible in the eyes. Finally, it was K.S. Ravikumar who suggested Ramya Krishnan,” Rajinikanth said.
Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai had later worked together in Enthiran, which was like a reunion for them on the same floor after Padayappa. The actor also said that the continuation of Padayappa which everyone has been waiting for is now on its way to the market as Neelambari: Padayappa 2, the title already being chosen.
K.S. Ravikumar directed Padayappa, where Rajinikanth was the main actor along with Ramya Krishnan, Soundarya, and the legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan. The supporting actors were Lakshmi, Radha Ravi, Nassar, Abbas, Sithara, and Preetha. When the movie was released in 1999, it broke all records and became the highest-grossing Tamil movie of that period.
At the moment, Rajinikanth and Ramya Krishnan are shooting for Jailer 2 helmed by Nelson Dilipkumar. The cast includes S.J. Suryah, Vinayakan, Yogi Babu, and Mirnaa. The movie is being developed by Kalanithi Maran under the Sun Pictures label and is scheduled to hit theaters in June 2026.
The re-release of Padayappa will not only bring back the memories of the Tamil cinema fans but will also allow the classic to be seen by a new generation of viewers.
