As Chiyaan Vikram celebrates his 59th birthday today, fans are reminiscing about his illustrious journey in Indian cinema — especially his powerful portrayal of Aditha Karikalan in Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan film franchise. But did you know that the actor once turned down the same project when it was first offered to him by none other than Kamal Haasan?
Yes, you read that right.
Long before Mani Ratnam brought Kalki Krishnamurthy’s literary epic to the big screen, Ponniyin Selvan went through several developmental stages. Originally announced by MGR in 1959, the film rights eventually landed with Kamal Haasan after MGR’s passing in 1987. Kamal initially envisioned it as a two-part movie with a star-studded cast including Rajinikanth, Sathyaraj, and Prabhu — but the project never took off.
Later, Kamal Haasan considered adapting the novel for television and approached Vikram for a leading role. In a past interview with News18, Vikram revealed,
“Kamal sir called me to his office and told me he wanted to produce Ponniyin Selvan for television. He said, ‘You can do whichever role you want.’”
However, Vikram politely declined the offer.
“The next day, I told him I’d wait for it to come to the big screen,” he said. “It’s very strange that I’ve always been on someone’s mind for Ponniyin Selvan. But it’s a nice thought.”
Years later, Vikram would go on to headline Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus — a two-part cinematic spectacle that not only fulfilled the decades-long dream of Tamil cinema fans but also cemented Vikram’s place in Tamil film history.
The Ponniyin Selvan series, which featured a stellar ensemble including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, and Sobhita Dhulipala, became a blockbuster success globally.
On the professional front, Vikram was last seen in Veera Dheera Sooran, a gritty action thriller that received both critical acclaim and commercial success. With more exciting projects lined up, the actor shows no signs of slowing down.
Here’s wishing Chiyaan Vikram a very happy birthday and many more milestones ahead!