Rajinikanth's detailed video on how Padayappa came about ahead of the film's re-release on Friday was received with anticipation and excitement by fans. In the video, the Jailer 2 actor revealed that he initially had Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in mind for the role of Neelambari, which was eventually played by Ramya Krishnan. Interestingly, he also said the character was inspired by Nandhini from Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan, which was portrayed by Aishwarya Rai in the film adaptation.
He explained, "Whenever I thought of the Neelambari character, I would remember Aishwarya Rai. I thought Aishwarya Rai was correct for this role and that she should do the role. We tried for almost three months to get her dates for this role. We even tried to reach her through her relatives," he revealed, adding that they were willing to wait for her dates for even a year if she liked the script. "That was because that character would have to click. Else, the film would not work. It was later we realised that she was not interested in this role," he added.
After Aishwarya Rai's casting idea didn't materialise, Rajinikanth and KS Ravikumar thought of many female actors to pull off the role, but they were not able to find someone with powerful eyes. Rajinikanth said that he told Ravikumar that if the film had to be successful, someone strong should be cast in the role of Neelambari. Eventually, it was Ravikumar who suggested Ramya Krishnan's name, and the rest became history.
Aishwarya Rai and Rajinikanth eventually collaborated in Shankar's Enthiran. Padayappa also starred Sivaji Ganesan, Soundarya, Radha Ravi, Nassar, Manivannan, and Abbas. Produced by Rajinikanth's Arunachala Cine Creations, the film still remains a favourite among Tamil fans for its strong storyline and screenplay, and also for AR Rahman's soundtrack and songs.
