16 years of Vaaranam Aayiram: Gautham Vasudev Menon says Suriya film is 'his soul', shares BTS pics

    As Suriya and Gautham Vasudev Menon's cult classic film Vaaranam Aayiram completes 16 years since its release, here are some memorable behind-the-scenes pictures shared by the filmmaker.

    16 years of Vaaranam Aayiram

    16 years of Vaaranam Aayiram

    It’s been 16 years since Gautham Vasudev Menon released the cult classic gem Vaaranam Aayiram for romantic movie lovers. Since then, the film has always been celebrated as a landmark in both Suriya and GVM’s careers. Released in 2008, the movie garnered critical acclaim for its heartwarming storyline, evergreen songs, and iconic dialogues.

    16 years of Vaaranam Aayiram

    As the film marks 16 years since its release, filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon took to his social media pages to pen a heartfelt note about the film.

    Calling the Suriya-starrer "his soul," the director wrote, "A film that will forever be etched in me. #VaaranamAayiram is all of my soul and like nothing else…”

    In a series of posts, the director also shared behind-the-scenes photos from the sets of the film. Check out the new post here!

    Did you know GVM wanted to cast Deepika Padukone and Mohanlal for Vaaranam Aayiram?

    While Suriya, Sameera Reddy, Simran, and Ramya Krishnan delivered perfect performances in the romantic action film, did you know the filmmaker initially had a different cast in mind?

    In an earlier interview, GVM revealed that he wasn’t keen on Suriya playing dual roles as father and son. He originally wanted Mohanlal or Nana Patekar to portray Suriya’s father. Additionally, GVM envisioned Deepika Padukone in the role of Sameera Reddy’s character, but the actress was busy shooting her Bollywood debut, Om Shanti Om.

    Vaaranam Aayiram

    Directed and written by Gautham Vasudev Menon, the film is loosely based on the director’s own life. It follows the journey of Suriya, an army officer, who reminisces about his life, family, and love after learning about his father’s death.

    Upon its release, the film became a blockbuster success, cementing its place as one of the biggest hits in Suriya’s career. The music, composed by Harris Jayaraj, became a chartbuster, with songs that remain some of Tamil cinema’s best-loved albums to this day.