Radikaa Sarathkumar plays a self-centred, foul-mouthed, and short-tempered woman in her upcoming film Thaai Kizhavi, directed by debutant Sivakumar Murugesan. What has caught the audience's attention, however, is the mass appeal she exudes throughout the film. The actor-producer, who has noticed this too, recently shared that the film should have had Rajinikanth as the lead.
Speaking at the pre-release event of the film where the trailer was also unveiled, she said, "I was initially hesitant about working on the film. It was only Sarath Kumar who convinced me to take on the role. I recently had the opportunity to watch this film with Kamal Haasan. I laughed and enjoyed it from start to finish. Honestly, while watching, I felt this was a film Superstar Rajinikanth should have played. Since he wouldn’t take on this particular role, they transformed the character into a female lead and cast me. That's how I look at it. If you look at the mass appeal she carries, you would only think about a Rajinikanth in the role."
The actor has also been open about the struggles she faced while wearing heavy prosthetic make-up for the role. She revealed that she had to endure four and a half hours of make-up every day for her character, which often left her frustrated. "During those times, I would think of Kamal sir," she remarked, sharing the challenges he faced while working on Avvai Shanmughi.
"His makeup would start melting after three hours, yet he would persevere and perform," she said, reflecting on how he tirelessly wore makeup for so many iconic roles. "Seeing him, my own struggles felt insignificant," she said.
Radikaa plays Pavunuthaayi in the film. She is a recently bereaved wife who is called upon her sons to settle a property dispute following their father's death. But she is determined and vows to use all her wealth until her death. Not long after, she is bedridden and her undecipherable gestures leave her sons, family and the whole village in a frenzy as they gather to solve the mystery of her hidden properties and wealth.
In addition to Radikaa, Thaai Kizhavi also stars Singam Puli, Arul Doss, Munishkanth, Bala Saravanan, Ilavarasu, Muthukumar, George Maryan, and Raichal Rabecca. The film is produced by Sudhan Sundaram's Passion Studios and presented by Sivakarthikeyan's SK Productions.
On the technical front, the film features music by Nivas K Prasanna, cinematography by Vivek Vijayakumar, and editing by San Lokesh. Thaai Kizhavi releases in theatres on February 27. In addition to a country-wide release, the film will also be released in Sri Lanka and France.
