Director Ameer, who has been enjoying the successful run of his 2002 romantic film Mounam Pesiyadhe has been receiving praise from all quarters for creating a relatable story that is entertaining and relevant even after 24 years. The filmmaker has now disclosed that the inspiration for Suriya's character came from his own life.

In an exclusive interview with Cinema Express, Ameer said he drew inspiration from a college friend to craft Gautham (Suriya). "He is a silent person, and we are a big gang who hang out together. He's my senior, but a peculiar person. Although we have had fun exploring love and its feelings during our youth, he would stay away. His body language would be completely different from us, and that caught my attention. Later, my perception of love changed and when I wanted to make this film, I took his character and my understanding of the feeling to create an engaging screenplay," he explained.

Interestingly, many scenes from the film are reflective of Ameer's own life as he mentioned that he was partly like Gautham during his early years. "Suriya's attire was my style back then. In fact, I chose all of the characters' costumes. I also looked at how I would approach a girl to make the film. The resemblance is uncanny, but that's how it is. I have also wanted to own a bike without the pillion rider's seat in it. It was my wish and I mounted it on Gautham," he laughs, adding that he has also reunited many couples in real life and got them married as well.

Released in 2002, Mounam Pesiyadhe was written and directed by Ameer in his directorial debut. It also marked Trisha's debut as a lead actor, and was also one of the early projects led by Suriya to have music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. Nandaa and Neha Pendse were also newcomers in the film while Laila appeared in a cameo role.