For Soori, a small role in Ajith’s Ji turned into an early career memory that he still remembers fondly. The actor, who is now gearing up for the release of Mandaadi, recently recalled how Ajith noticed him among a group of junior artists and personally appreciated his performance.

Speaking to Behindwoods during the promotions of Mandaadi, Soori went back to the days when he was still working as a junior artist. He recalled being part of a group of around 20 artists in Ji, which was directed by N Lingusamy. Soori had landed the opportunity after director Balaji Sakthivel recommended him following his work in Kaadhal.

Recalling an election sequence in the film, Soori said the villain’s team wins the election, with the junior artists positioned above the losing team. They were asked to heckle the opposing group, and Soori said he got carried away while shouting his lines. “I completely lost myself and said all kinds of things,” he recalled.

What Soori did not know was that Ajith had noticed his performance while watching the monitor. According to Soori, Ajith appreciated his work and asked the team to applaud him. He was subsequently called downstairs to meet the actor, which left him nervous about what Ajith wanted to discuss.

However, the interaction took an unexpectedly warm turn. Ajith asked Soori what he had been shouting during the scene and, after hearing that he was simply following the director’s instructions, asked where he was from. When Soori replied that he was from Madurai, Ajith hugged him and appreciated the energy he brought to the scene. “He asked me where I was from. I said Madurai. He immediately gave me a hug and said, ‘Super!’” Soori recalled.

The incident has remained one of the actor’s cherished memories from his years as a junior artist, particularly because of the encouragement he received from one of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars.

Soori is now set to headline Mandaadi, directed by Mathimaran Pugazhendhi of Selfie fame. The sea-based action drama revolves around a traditional sailing boat race along Tamil Nadu’s coastline, with Soori playing the leader of a fishing expedition team. The film also stars Mahima Nambiar, Suhas, Sathyaraj, Mithun Jai Sankar and Ravindra Vijay, with GV Prakash Kumar composing the music. Mandaadi is scheduled to hit theatres on September 10.