25 years after its initial release, Vijay-Jyotika's hit romantic drama Kushi is returning to the screens on September 25. Ahead of its re-release, the makers including director SJ Suryah, producer AM Rathnam and distributor Sakthivelan of Sakthi Film Factory came together to revisit the film and reminisce memories associated with the project.
Producer AM Rathnam expressed his happiness on the re-release of the film and recalled how Kushi came to life. "Editor Vijayan once told me, 'Valli is shaping up well. Ajith sir even bought a bike for Suryah.' Immediately, I sent someone to bring him. I told them to choose whoever they want as the lead actor, but for me, selecting the right director was of utmost most importance. Later, we narrated the story to Vijay sir. Suryah directed the film in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. You may not notice the actors, but you will definitely notice Suriya's work in the film," he said.
Revealing that the film was initially titled Top Angle Love Story, Rathnam also elaborated on how Suryah convinced Vijay to act in Kushi. "The story about how a boy, born in Kolkata and a girl, born in Tamil Nadu would unite in their lives would be revealed in the beginning of the story, but SJ Suryah had presented the story in an interesting and engaging way. At the time also Vijay was a leading actor and convincing him for a film with no action scenes was no easy task. After multiple discussions, Suryah agreed to keep one fight scene," he shared, opening up about how he was skeptical on the film's response.
"This is not another 'mass' film like Indian, but a love story and I was worried how the film would fare. However, the first show's response to Kushi proved me wrong. I immediately declared that Kushi would be a hit. Lyricist Vairamuthu sir, after watching, told Suryah, 'First, call your producer. To make a film with such a delicate line like Ego, on such a large scale, requires courage," he said.
"Today’s generation of fans may not have had the theatrical experience of Kushi. That’s why I am confident they will thoroughly enjoy it this time," Rathnam stated, hoping that a sequel for the film would be made soon. The producer also suggested Vijay's son Jason Sanjay's name as the lead actor for it. "With sequels being the trend now, I feel Kushi 2 would be a great idea. And it should definitely be directed by Suryah again. Whether Vijay sir acts in it, or his son, or someone else, I believe Suryah should helm the film," he concluded.
The film, marking SJ Suryah's sophomore directorial, revolves around how fate brings together Shiva (Vijay) and Jenny (Jyothika), who had plans that would have never made their encounter possible. They develop a friendship, which then blooms into a romantic interest, but before they can express it to each other, a heated argument creates a rift.
Apart from Vijay and Jyothika, the film stars Vijayakumar, Vivek, Nagendra Prasad, Nizhalgal Ravi, Beena Banerjee, and Janaki Sabesh in pivotal roles. The film's Telugu version, also titled Kushi (2001), starring Pawan Kalyan and Bhumika Chawla, was initially planned as a bilingual along with the Tamil version, but released a year later due to production delays. The film was remade in Hindi as Khushi (2003), and in Kannada as Eno Onthara (2010).
