Not Sameera Reddy, This Bollywood Actress Was The 1st Choice For Suriya’s Vaaranam Aayiram

The 2008 Tamil film Vaaranam Aayiram featured South star Suriya in a double role. The film has, over the years, become a cult among Tamil audiences. Directed by Gautam Vasudev Menon, it was a big success back then. It even won the National Award For Best Feature film in Tamil. The film marked the Tamil debut of Bollywood actress Sameera Reddy as well. It also had Simran and Ramya in lead roles. Did you know that Sameera Reddy was not the first choice for the female lead? In a recent interview with a YouTube channel, Gautham Menon revealed this.

Sameera Reddy played the character of Meghna, starring opposite Suriya in the film. Gautham Menon recently revealed that this part was initially going to be played by another Bollywood actress. The original actress envisioned for the role was Deepika Padukone, who had until that point, only appeared in the Kannada film Aishwarya. Deepika could not do the film as she was filming for her Bollywood debut Om Shanti Om around the same time; hence, Sameera Reddy stepped in.

Vaaranam Aayiram was a film that took inspiration from some aspects of director Gautham Menon’s personal life. Suriya played an army officer who gets news of his father’s passing, while on a mission and reminisces about his bond with his father. Gautham had later admitted that the news of his own father’s passing in 2007 inspired the film. The film touched the hearts of the audiences. Vaaranam Aayiram’s song Nenjukkul Peidhidum became the love anthem for the youth back then.

Gautham Menon also revealed that he is not a fan of the same actor playing father and son in a movie, unless the script demands it and that is why other actors were considered for the father’s role. Gautham Menon revealed that Malayalam actor Mohanlal and Bollywood actor Nana Patekar were considered for the father’s role initially. Both actors were in talks for the role, but when things did not materialise, Suriya convinced the director to cast him as both father and son. Gautham has revealed that it was a great decision, as the versatile actor played both parts to perfection.