Vettaiyan director on Rajinikanth's star power: 'Jai Bhim opened the doors, but...'

Director TJ Gnanavel has expressed immense gratitude towards Superstar Rajinikanth for making his latest film Vettaiyan possible with an all-star cast. Gnanavel acknowledged that while Jai Bhim opened many doors for him, it was Rajinikanth's involvement in Vettaiyan that truly elevated the project.

"Rajinikanth agreeing to act in Vettaiyan gave me a special pass that helped me skip the queue and work with some of the biggest names in the industry," Gnanavel said. The film’s ensemble cast includes Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, and other top talents like Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati, and Manju Warrier among others, adding to the excitement surrounding the project.

Gnanavel also shared his vision behind Vettaiyan, which aims to showcase the remarkable acting talent of Rajinikanth that he believes has been overshadowed by his larger-than-life superstar persona. "You cannot make a movie with Rajinikanth sir without considering his swag. If I make a film without that, fans will agitate. But I feel the super actor in him has been hidden beneath his superstar image," Gnanavel explained.

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Recalling a candid conversation with the iconic actor, Gnanavel shared, "I told him, 'You aren’t doing films that explore the actor in you.' He responded with a smile, 'I am on a good path, why are you pulling me into this?'"

The director cited Mullum Malarum—a classic Rajinikanth film directed by J. Mahendran—as his favourite and a major influence. "My favourite film is Mullum Malarum, and Mahendran is one of my favourite directors. I even asked Anirudh Ravichander (music director) to add the line 'Ketta Paya Sir' in a song as a tribute."

Gnanavel emphasized that Vettaiyan is a performance-driven film where Rajinikanth's acting prowess will once again take centre stage. "In this film, I’ve tried to explore his acting side to some extent. You can see a shade of Mullum Malarum in this performance. After Mullum Malarum, he evolved into something massive, but this is an opportunity to remind audiences of his roots as an actor."

Vettaiyan, directed by TJ Gnanavel, is set to hit theatres on October 10.

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