Superstar Rajinikanth Reveals Aishwarya Rai Was First Pick for ‘Padayappa’ Neelambari Role

Behind the Scenes of Padayappa: Rajinikanth Wanted Aishwarya Rai for Neelambari Role Initially

As his 1999 cult classic Padayappa gears up for a 2025 theatrical re‑release, veteran superstar Rajinikanth revealed an astonishing behind‑the‑scenes nugget of information: his first pick for the powerful antagonist Neelambari was not the actress who went on to perform it, but Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Rajinikanth Initially Wanted Aishwarya Rai Neelambari
 

In a video message on the re-release and his 75th birthday celebrations, Rajinikanth recalled how the team, after months of effort, reached out to Aishwarya, even trying through her relatives to get her dates for the film.

He admitted that they were prepared to wait “two or three years” if she agreed. “That character demanded a presence; if she had said yes, I was willing to wait so long,” he said.

However, Aishwarya is reported to have turned down the offer, showing little interest in joining the movie project at the time. After considering other big names, the team, led by director K. S. Ravikumar, finally settled on Ramya Krishnan for the role of Neelambari. 

According to Rajinikanth, her strong screen presence and commanding performance helped realize the character's required intensity.

The stakes: Why Rajini Wanted Aishwarya for Neelambari
 

According to Rajinikanth, the movie's impact was only central to the character of Neelambari. He believed only an actress with the ‘power in her eyes’ and an intimidating aura could do the role justice. The film ‘would not work’ for the makers without the right person.

Further, Rajinikanth said Nandhini inspired the concept of Neelambari from the timeless Tamil novel Ponniyin Selvan, a character of formidable charisma and subtle menace. When thinking of Neelambari, he said, he felt “Aishwarya Rai” first.

Ramya Krishnan Becomes Iconic Neelambari Role

Despite this lengthy chase, Aishwarya refused. As Rajinikanth himself recalled, after considering several names, it was director K.S. Ravikumar who suggested Ramya Krishnan, and she ultimately joined. She was so effective that Neelambari went on to become one of the greatest villains in Tamil cinema.

More interestingly, Rajinikanth also said that he was the producer and story-writer of Padayappa. He said the film was initially meant to capture that "Nandhini‑like" aura, and without the right actress for Neelambari, he felt even delaying the project would have been acceptable.

Would Aishwarya Have Outshined Ramya Krishnan?

The announcement comes as part of the re-release campaign for Padayappa on 12 December 2025, in remastered 4K, a tribute to Rajinikanth’s 50 years in cinema.

Then, Rajinikanth dropped another bomb: talks are already underway for a sequel, titled Neelambari: Padayappa 2. The focus, he hinted, will again be on the character of Neelambari, perhaps with an even stronger storyline built around her. The revelation also underlines how casting choices, and actors' availability or interest can dramatically shape a film's legacy.

With a sequel in the pipeline, the question everyone is now asking is, had Aishwarya accepted, would her Neelambari have become the stuff of legends, or would Ramya's role be unsurpassed?